LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in World

World: LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization was 511,364 in 2027. ▲ Rising

Latest (2027)
511,364
Change on year
up 1.0%
Rank
1st
of 87 groups
All-time high
582,990
in 2020
All-time low
459,175
in 2007
Years of data
23
2005–2027

LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in World, 2005–2027

0200.0k400.0k600.0k2005201620272005: 469.8k2006: 463.8k2007: 459.2k2008: 467.8k2009: 501.4k2010: 499.5k2011: 496.2k2012: 503.1k2013: 503.4k2014: 501.2k2015: 508.7k2016: 513.9k2017: 517.6k2018: 510.6k2019: 505.1k2020: 583.0k2021: 553.8k2022: 506.6k2023: 488.5k2024: 493.7k2025: 500.4k2026: 506.2k2027: 511.4k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in World stood at 511,364.

The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in World peaked at 582,990 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 459,175, in 2007.

That places World 1st out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.

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

Annual values for LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in World, 2005 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2005 469,848
2006 463,764 -1.3%
2007 459,175 -1.0%
2008 467,803 +1.9%
2009 501,410 +7.2%
2010 499,535 -0.4%
2011 496,250 -0.7%
2012 503,115 +1.4%
2013 503,422 +0.1%
2014 501,243 -0.4%
2015 508,713 +1.5%
2016 513,931 +1.0%
2017 517,563 +0.7%
2018 510,576 -1.3%
2019 505,113 -1.1%
2020 582,990 +15.4%
2021 553,835 -5.0%
2022 506,576 -8.5%
2023 488,518 -3.6%
2024 493,715 +1.1%
2025 500,425 +1.4%
2026 506,224 +1.2%
2027 511,364 +1.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 472,400 459,175 501,410 5
2010s 505,946 496,250 517,563 10
2020s 517,956 488,518 582,990 8

Countries ranked near World

  1. 1 Indonesia 19,007 compare
  2. 2 Brazil 16,257 compare
  3. 3 South Africa 13,113 compare
  4. 4 United States of America 10,340 compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More work & labour data for World

All data for World →

Frequently asked questions

What is lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in World?
Lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in World was 511,364 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization recorded in World?
The highest recorded value was 582,990 in 2020.
What is the lowest lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization recorded in World?
The lowest recorded value was 459,175 in 2007.
How does World rank for lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization?
World ranks 1st out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization rising or falling in World?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this World 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

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

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/lu4-composite-measure-of-labour-underutilization/world/">LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in World</a> — Statizoid

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.