LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Germany
Germany: LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was 5.87 in 2024. ▼ Falling
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Germany, 1999–2024
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2024, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Germany stood at 5.87.
That represents a change of up 8.3% on the previous year and down 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Germany peaked at 14.39 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 4.93, in 2019.
That places Germany 65th out of 89 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Germany, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 11.18 | — |
| 2000 | 10.19 | -8.8% |
| 2001 | 10.05 | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 10.77 | +7.1% |
| 2003 | 12.21 | +13.4% |
| 2004 | 13.09 | +7.2% |
| 2005 | 14.39 | +10.0% |
| 2006 | 13.26 | -7.9% |
| 2007 | 11.77 | -11.2% |
| 2008 | 10.38 | -11.8% |
| 2009 | 10.32 | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 9.13 | -11.5% |
| 2011 | 8.19 | -10.3% |
| 2012 | 7.48 | -8.6% |
| 2013 | 7.37 | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 6.95 | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 6.62 | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 6.15 | -7.2% |
| 2017 | 5.75 | -6.5% |
| 2018 | 5.2 | -9.5% |
| 2019 | 4.93 | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 7.02 | +42.4% |
| 2021 | 6 | -14.6% |
| 2022 | 5.53 | -7.7% |
| 2023 | 5.42 | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 5.87 | +8.3% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 5.87 is below the median for high income countries, which is 7.45, 79% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Germany's 5.87 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.71, 67% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Germany 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 | +42.4% | 4.93 | 7.02 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.18 | 11.18 | 11.18 | 1 |
| 2000s | 11.64 | 10.05 | 14.39 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.78 | 4.93 | 9.13 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.97 | 5.42 | 7.02 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More work & labour data for Germany
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0436 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0549 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.95 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0388 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 66,826 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 12,413 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 35,391 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 35,508 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 70,900 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Germany?
- Lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Germany was 5.87 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 14.39 in 2005.
- What is the lowest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.93 in 2019.
- How does Germany rank for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force?
- Germany ranks 65th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany 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
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
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.