LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in Canada

Canada: LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization was 2,012 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
2,012
Change on year
up 8.9%
World rank
19th
of 79 countries
All-time high
2,372
in 2020
All-time low
1,409
in 2000
Years of data
29
1997–2025

LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in Canada, 1997–2025

05001.0k1.5k2.0k2.5k1997201120251997: 1.8k1998: 1.7k1999: 1.6k2000: 1.4k2001: 1.5k2002: 1.7k2003: 1.7k2004: 1.6k2005: 1.5k2006: 1.5k2007: 1.4k2008: 1.5k2009: 2.0k2010: 2.0k2011: 1.9k2012: 1.9k2013: 1.8k2014: 1.8k2015: 1.8k2016: 1.8k2017: 1.7k2018: 1.6k2019: 1.5k2020: 2.4k2021: 2.0k2022: 1.4k2023: 1.5k2024: 1.8k2025: 2.0k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in Canada is 2,012, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.9% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in Canada peaked at 2,372 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1,409, in 2000.

Canada ranks 19th of 79 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.

LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in Canada, year by year

Annual values for LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in Canada, 1997 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1997 1,841
1998 1,691 -8.1%
1999 1,567 -7.3%
2000 1,409 -10.1%
2001 1,493 +6.0%
2002 1,655 +10.9%
2003 1,684 +1.7%
2004 1,611 -4.4%
2005 1,521 -5.5%
2006 1,480 -2.7%
2007 1,413 -4.5%
2008 1,479 +4.7%
2009 2,007 +35.7%
2010 2,004 -0.1%
2011 1,902 -5.1%
2012 1,866 -1.9%
2013 1,832 -1.8%
2014 1,807 -1.4%
2015 1,778 -1.6%
2016 1,824 +2.6%
2017 1,722 -5.6%
2018 1,579 -8.3%
2019 1,528 -3.2%
2020 2,372 +55.2%
2021 1,957 -17.5%
2022 1,414 -27.8%
2023 1,500 +6.1%
2024 1,847 +23.1%
2025 2,012 +8.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1,699 1,567 1,841 3
2000s 1,575 1,409 2,007 10
2010s 1,784 1,528 2,004 10
2020s 1,850 1,414 2,372 6

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 16 Senegal 2,414 compare
  2. 17 Rwanda 2,224 compare
  3. 18 Guatemala 2,200 compare
  4. 20 Viet Nam 1,817 compare
  5. 21 Afghanistan 1,688 compare
  6. 22 Zimbabwe 1,657 compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More work & labour data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in Canada?
Lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in Canada was 2,012 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 2,372 in 2020.
What is the lowest lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 1,409 in 2000.
How does Canada rank for lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization?
Canada ranks 19th out of 79 countries with data for 2025.
Is lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in Canada. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/lu4-composite-measure-of-labour-underutilization/canada/

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About this data

Indicator
LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
166 places, 3,284 data points, 1991–2027
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. LU4 represents the share of the extended labour force that are in unemployment, time-related underemployment or the potential labour force. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.