LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Canada
Canada: LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was 7.48 in 2025. ▼ Falling
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Canada, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Canada recorded 7.48 for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.7% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Canada peaked at 13.97 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 5.82, in 2022.
That places Canada 50th out of 89 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 10.28 | — |
| 1991 | 12.68 | +23.4% |
| 1992 | 13.78 | +8.7% |
| 1993 | 13.97 | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 12.76 | -8.6% |
| 1995 | 11.59 | -9.2% |
| 1996 | 11.45 | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 10.24 | -10.6% |
| 1998 | 9.21 | -10.0% |
| 1999 | 8.43 | -8.4% |
| 2000 | 7.57 | -10.2% |
| 2001 | 7.95 | +5.0% |
| 2002 | 8.51 | +7.0% |
| 2003 | 8.33 | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 7.91 | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 7.47 | -5.4% |
| 2006 | 7.16 | -4.2% |
| 2007 | 6.77 | -5.5% |
| 2008 | 6.93 | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 9.21 | +32.9% |
| 2010 | 8.91 | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 8.34 | -6.4% |
| 2012 | 8.11 | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 7.82 | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 7.69 | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 7.6 | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 7.71 | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 7 | -9.1% |
| 2018 | 6.4 | -8.6% |
| 2019 | 6.25 | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 10.54 | +68.4% |
| 2021 | 8.19 | -22.2% |
| 2022 | 5.82 | -29.0% |
| 2023 | 5.94 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 7.01 | +18.0% |
| 2025 | 7.48 | +6.7% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 7.48 is above the median for high income countries, which is 7.45, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +68.4% | 6.25 | 10.54 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.44 | 8.43 | 13.97 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.78 | 6.77 | 9.21 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.59 | 6.25 | 8.91 | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.49 | 5.82 | 10.54 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More work & labour data for Canada
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.3334 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3231 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6552 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 39,234 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,715 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 26,798 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 26,814 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 53,612 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Canada?
- Lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Canada was 7.48 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 13.97 in 1993.
- What is the lowest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.82 in 2022.
- How does Canada rank for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force?
- Canada ranks 50th out of 89 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. LU3 represents the share of the extended labour force that are in unemployment or the potential labour force. Data disaggregated by level of education are provided on the highest level of education completed, classified according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCED. For more information, refer to the Education and Mismatch Indicators (EMI) database description.