Potential labour force in Asia and the Pacific
Asia and the Pacific: Potential labour force was 58,342 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Potential labour force in Asia and the Pacific, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Asia and the Pacific recorded 58,342 for potential labour force in 2027.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potential labour force in Asia and the Pacific peaked at 80,726 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 57,171, in 2024.
That places Asia and the Pacific 7th 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 Asia and the Pacific, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 80,726 | — |
| 2005 | 80,552 | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 79,259 | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 77,514 | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 78,258 | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 78,092 | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 76,417 | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 74,426 | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 73,348 | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 71,939 | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 70,458 | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 69,570 | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 68,830 | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 67,498 | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 65,566 | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 60,416 | -7.9% |
| 2020 | 69,788 | +15.5% |
| 2021 | 63,873 | -8.5% |
| 2022 | 59,226 | -7.3% |
| 2023 | 57,316 | -3.2% |
| 2024 | 57,171 | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 57,608 | +0.8% |
| 2026 | 57,994 | +0.7% |
| 2027 | 58,342 | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 79,067 | 77,514 | 80,726 | 6 |
| 2010s | 69,847 | 60,416 | 76,417 | 10 |
| 2020s | 60,165 | 57,171 | 69,788 | 8 |
More work & labour data for Asia and the Pacific
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 2.15 million (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.05 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 1.43 million (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.7302 % change on previous year (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.53 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) 60.05 (2027)
- NEET: Youth not in employment, education or training 137,228 (2027)
- NEET rate: Share of youth not in employment, education or training 20.14 (2027)
- Employment 2.04 million (2025)
- Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers 90,260 (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is potential labour force in Asia and the Pacific?
- Potential labour force in Asia and the Pacific was 58,342 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest potential labour force recorded in Asia and the Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 80,726 in 2004.
- What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in Asia and the Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 57,171 in 2024.
- How does Asia and the Pacific rank for potential labour force?
- Asia and the Pacific ranks 7th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is potential labour force rising or falling in Asia and the Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Asia and the Pacific 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
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.