Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates: Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) was 15.5 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
15.5
Change on year
down 90.6%
World rank
57th
of 61 countries
All-time high
187.4
in 2019
All-time low
15.5
in 2024
Years of data
8
2017–2024

Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in United Arab Emirates, 2017–2024

0501001502002017202020242017: 141.52018: 119.92019: 187.42020: 172.92021: 992022: 168.12023: 164.92024: 15.5

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

United Arab Emirates recorded 15.5 for potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 90.6% on the previous year and down 89.1% over ten years.

United Arab Emirates ranks 57th of 61 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in United Arab Emirates, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+) in United Arab Emirates, 2017 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2017 141.53
2018 119.85 -15.3%
2019 187.4 +56.4%
2020 172.9 -7.7%
2021 99 -42.7%
2022 168.05 +69.7%
2023 164.93 -1.9%
2024 15.5 -90.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 149.59 119.85 187.4 3
2020s 124.08 15.5 172.9 5

Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates

  1. 54 Panama 20.94 compare
  2. 55 Luxembourg 19.72 compare
  3. 56 Slovenia 15.66 compare
  4. 58 Iceland 7.73 compare
  5. 59 Cyprus 6.82 compare
  6. 60 Malta 2.42 compare

See the full ranking of 61 places →

More work & labour data for United Arab Emirates

All data for United Arab Emirates →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in United Arab Emirates?
Potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in United Arab Emirates was 15.5 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The highest recorded value was 187.4 in 2019.
What is the lowest potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The lowest recorded value was 15.5 in 2024.
How does United Arab Emirates rank for potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19)?
United Arab Emirates ranks 57th out of 61 countries with data for 2024.
Is potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
Over the last ten years it is down 89.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in United Arab Emirates. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-current-ilo-definition-icls19-15/united-arab-emirates/

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About this data

Indicator
Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
61 places, 595 data points, 2014–2025
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 includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. The potential labour force refers to persons not in employment who express an interest in this form of work but for whom existing conditions limit their active job search and/or their availability. This group is used to calculate alternative measures of labour underutilization. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.