Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate in Africa

Africa: Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate was 9.4 in 2027. ▬ Flat

Latest (2027)
9.4
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
20th
of 87 groups
All-time high
10.6
in 2020
All-time low
9.2
in 2013
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate in Africa, 2004–2027

02.557.5102004201520272004: 9.72005: 9.62006: 9.42007: 9.32008: 9.32009: 9.32010: 9.42011: 9.42012: 9.42013: 9.22014: 9.32015: 9.52016: 9.62017: 9.62018: 9.72019: 9.72020: 10.62021: 9.92022: 9.72023: 9.32024: 9.32025: 9.42026: 9.42027: 9.4

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Africa recorded 9.4 for potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate in 2027.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate in Africa peaked at 10.6 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 9.2, in 2013.

That places Africa 20th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the top quarter.

Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate in Africa, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Africa, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 9.7
2005 9.6 -1.0%
2006 9.4 -2.1%
2007 9.3 -1.1%
2008 9.3 +0.0%
2009 9.3 +0.0%
2010 9.4 +1.1%
2011 9.4 +0.0%
2012 9.4 +0.0%
2013 9.2 -2.1%
2014 9.3 +1.1%
2015 9.5 +2.2%
2016 9.6 +1.1%
2017 9.6 +0.0%
2018 9.7 +1.0%
2019 9.7 +0.0%
2020 10.6 +9.3%
2021 9.9 -6.6%
2022 9.7 -2.0%
2023 9.3 -4.1%
2024 9.3 +0.0%
2025 9.4 +1.1%
2026 9.4 +0.0%
2027 9.4 +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 9.43 9.3 9.7 6
2010s 9.48 9.2 9.7 10
2020s 9.62 9.3 10.6 8

Countries ranked near Africa

  1. 17 Ireland 7.5 compare
  2. 18 Brazil 7.4 compare
  3. 18 Honduras 7.4 compare
  4. 20 North Macedonia 7 compare
  5. 20 Sweden 7 compare
  6. 22 Austria 6.9 compare
  7. 23 Norway 6.8 compare

See the full ranking of 157 places →

More work & labour data for Africa

All data for Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate in Africa?
Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate in Africa was 9.4 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate recorded in Africa?
The highest recorded value was 10.6 in 2020.
What is the lowest potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate recorded in Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 9.2 in 2013.
How does Africa rank for potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate?
Africa ranks 20th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate rising or falling in Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate in Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-and-willing-non-jobseekers-rate-previous-ilo-definition-icls13/africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
157 places, 3,300 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. The potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers includes those who have been recently searching for a job but are not available to work within a short reference period, those who have not searched recently for a job, but they are available to work within a short reference period, and finally those who do not fall in neither of the previous categories but that wanted employment. The rate refers to this group divided by the sum of the extended labour force and willing non-jobseekers. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.