LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in United States
United States: LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was 5.24 in 2025. ▼ Falling
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in United States, 1994–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in United States is 5.24, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 6.8% on the previous year and down 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in United States peaked at 10.91 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 4.48, in 2019.
United States ranks 69th of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 7.49 | — |
| 1995 | 6.87 | -8.2% |
| 1996 | 6.63 | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 6.07 | -8.4% |
| 1998 | 5.52 | -9.2% |
| 1999 | 5.14 | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 4.83 | -6.0% |
| 2001 | 5.61 | +16.1% |
| 2002 | 6.71 | +19.6% |
| 2003 | 6.95 | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 6.5 | -6.5% |
| 2005 | 6.04 | -7.0% |
| 2006 | 5.53 | -8.5% |
| 2007 | 5.48 | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 6.71 | +22.5% |
| 2009 | 10.42 | +55.2% |
| 2010 | 10.91 | +4.7% |
| 2011 | 10.25 | -6.1% |
| 2012 | 9.4 | -8.3% |
| 2013 | 8.64 | -8.1% |
| 2014 | 7.39 | -14.5% |
| 2015 | 6.39 | -13.5% |
| 2016 | 5.91 | -7.7% |
| 2017 | 5.28 | -10.5% |
| 2018 | 4.77 | -9.8% |
| 2019 | 4.48 | -6.1% |
| 2020 | 9.06 | +102.5% |
| 2021 | 6.33 | -30.2% |
| 2022 | 4.54 | -28.2% |
| 2023 | 4.48 | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 4.91 | +9.7% |
| 2025 | 5.24 | +6.8% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 5.24 is below the median for high income countries, which is 7.45, 70% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in United States 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 | +102.5% | 4.48 | 9.06 |
| 2009 | +55.2% | 6.71 | 10.42 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.29 | 5.14 | 7.49 | 6 |
| 2000s | 6.48 | 4.83 | 10.42 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.34 | 4.48 | 10.91 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.76 | 4.48 | 9.06 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
More work & labour data for United States
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 113,208 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 61.24 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 178,849 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.4 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.05 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 159,991 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 141,322 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 58.55 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.27 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.3372 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in United States?
- Lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in United States was 5.24 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 10.91 in 2010.
- What is the lowest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.48 in 2019.
- How does United States rank for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force?
- United States ranks 69th out of 89 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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 — 32 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.