LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Estonia

Estonia: LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was 11.3 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
11.3
Change on year
up 11.2%
World rank
27th
of 89 countries
All-time high
21.6
in 2010
All-time low
8.5
in 2007
Years of data
27
1998–2024

LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Estonia, 1998–2024

051015201998201120241998: 16.21999: 18.12000: 20.92001: 21.22002: 18.32003: 17.92004: 18.12005: 13.82006: 10.22007: 8.52008: 8.62009: 18.12010: 21.62011: 17.82012: 15.42013: 13.32014: 11.82015: 10.42016: 11.52017: 10.22018: 102019: 8.82020: 11.42021: 9.92022: 9.22023: 10.22024: 11.3

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Estonia is 11.3, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of up 11.2% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Estonia peaked at 21.6 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 8.5, in 2007.

Estonia ranks 27th of 89 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.

LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Estonia, year by year

Annual values for LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) in Estonia, 1998 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1998 16.18
1999 18.12 +12.0%
2000 20.94 +15.6%
2001 21.17 +1.1%
2002 18.3 -13.6%
2003 17.86 -2.4%
2004 18.11 +1.4%
2005 13.78 -23.9%
2006 10.19 -26.1%
2007 8.5 -16.6%
2008 8.57 +0.8%
2009 18.07 +110.8%
2010 21.6 +19.5%
2011 17.78 -17.7%
2012 15.4 -13.4%
2013 13.29 -13.7%
2014 11.85 -10.9%
2015 10.38 -12.4%
2016 11.51 +10.9%
2017 10.21 -11.3%
2018 10 -2.1%
2019 8.81 -11.9%
2020 11.39 +29.3%
2021 9.9 -13.1%
2022 9.18 -7.2%
2023 10.16 +10.6%
2024 11.3 +11.2%

Estonia compared with similar countries

  • Estonia's 11.3 is above the median for high income countries, which is 7.45, 1.5× the median. (46 countries reporting)
  • Estonia's 11.3 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.71, 1.3× the median. (41 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Estonia 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.

YearChange FromTo
2009 +110.8% 8.57 18.07

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 17.15 16.18 18.12 2
2000s 15.55 8.5 21.17 10
2010s 13.08 8.81 21.6 10
2020s 10.39 9.18 11.39 5

Countries ranked near Estonia

  1. 24 Finland 12.87 compare
  2. 25 Saudi Arabia 11.61 compare
  3. 26 Luxembourg 11.47 compare
  4. 28 Greece 10.82 compare
  5. 29 France 10.76 compare
  6. 30 Honduras 10.51 compare

See the full ranking of 89 places →

More work & labour data for Estonia

All data for Estonia →

Frequently asked questions

What is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Estonia?
Lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Estonia was 11.3 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Estonia?
The highest recorded value was 21.6 in 2010.
What is the lowest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Estonia?
The lowest recorded value was 8.5 in 2007.
How does Estonia rank for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force?
Estonia ranks 27th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
Is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force rising or falling in Estonia?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Estonia 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.

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LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Estonia. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/lu3-combined-rate-of-unemployment-and-potential-labour-force-previous-ilo-definition/estonia/

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About this data

Indicator
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
89 places, 1,503 data points, 1987–2025
Last refreshed

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.