Potential labour force in APEC

APEC: Potential labour force was 46,359 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
46,359
Change on year
up 0.1%
Rank
8th
of 87 groups
All-time high
59,007
in 2004
All-time low
45,696
in 2023
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Potential labour force in APEC, 2004–2027

020.0k40.0k60.0k2004201520272004: 59.0k2005: 58.6k2006: 57.2k2007: 55.4k2008: 55.8k2009: 57.3k2010: 56.0k2011: 54.1k2012: 53.2k2013: 53.3k2014: 52.6k2015: 52.0k2016: 51.7k2017: 50.7k2018: 49.9k2019: 47.1k2020: 57.7k2021: 52.4k2022: 48.0k2023: 45.7k2024: 46.2k2025: 46.1k2026: 46.3k2027: 46.4k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, potential labour force in APEC stood at 46,359.

That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and down 8.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force in APEC peaked at 59,007 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 45,696, in 2023.

That places APEC 8th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Potential labour force in APEC, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in APEC, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 59,007
2005 58,554 -0.8%
2006 57,239 -2.2%
2007 55,432 -3.2%
2008 55,823 +0.7%
2009 57,305 +2.7%
2010 56,009 -2.3%
2011 54,140 -3.3%
2012 53,232 -1.7%
2013 53,276 +0.1%
2014 52,567 -1.3%
2015 52,037 -1.0%
2016 51,686 -0.7%
2017 50,732 -1.8%
2018 49,881 -1.7%
2019 47,077 -5.6%
2020 57,748 +22.7%
2021 52,428 -9.2%
2022 47,972 -8.5%
2023 45,696 -4.7%
2024 46,212 +1.1%
2025 46,091 -0.3%
2026 46,293 +0.4%
2027 46,359 +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 57,227 55,432 59,007 6
2010s 52,064 47,077 56,009 10
2020s 48,600 45,696 57,748 8

More work & labour data for APEC

All data for APEC →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force in APEC?
Potential labour force in APEC was 46,359 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force recorded in APEC?
The highest recorded value was 59,007 in 2004.
What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in APEC?
The lowest recorded value was 45,696 in 2023.
How does APEC rank for potential labour force?
APEC ranks 8th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is potential labour force rising or falling in APEC?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this APEC data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Potential labour force in APEC. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates/apec/

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About this data

Indicator
Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
87 places, 2,088 data points, 2004–2027
Last refreshed

Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. 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 ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.