Strictness of employment protection — Temporary contracts in United States
United States: Strictness of employment protection — Temporary contracts was 0.25 0-6 scale in 2025. ▬ Flat
Strictness of employment protection — Temporary contracts in United States, 1985–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in 0-6 scale.
Analysis
United States recorded 0.25 0-6 scale for strictness of employment protection — temporary contracts in 2025. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, strictness of employment protection — temporary contracts in United States peaked at 0.25 0-6 scale in 1985 and was at its lowest, 0.25 0-6 scale, in 1985.
United States ranks 40th of 41 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Strictness of employment protection — Temporary contracts in United States, year by year
| Year | 0-6 scale | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.25 0-6 scale | — |
| 1986 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 0.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.25 0-6 scale | 0.25 0-6 scale | 0.25 0-6 scale | 5 |
| 1990s | 0.25 0-6 scale | 0.25 0-6 scale | 0.25 0-6 scale | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.25 0-6 scale | 0.25 0-6 scale | 0.25 0-6 scale | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.25 0-6 scale | 0.25 0-6 scale | 0.25 0-6 scale | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.25 0-6 scale | 0.25 0-6 scale | 0.25 0-6 scale | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 38 South Africa 0.5 0-6 scale compare
- 39 United Kingdom 0.375 0-6 scale compare
- 40 Canada 0.25 0-6 scale compare
More work & labour data for United States
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 113,208 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 61.24 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 178,849 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 58.55 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.27 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.3372 % change on previous year (2027)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 61.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is strictness of employment protection — temporary contracts in United States?
- Strictness of employment protection — temporary contracts in United States was 0.25 0-6 scale in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest strictness of employment protection — temporary contracts recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 0.25 0-6 scale in 1985.
- What is the lowest strictness of employment protection — temporary contracts recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.25 0-6 scale in 1985.
- How does United States rank for strictness of employment protection — temporary contracts?
- United States ranks 40th out of 41 countries with data for 2025.
- Is strictness of employment protection — temporary contracts rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Strictness of employment protection — Temporary contracts. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The OECD indicators of employment protection are synthetic indicators of the strictness of regulation on dismissals and the use of temporary contracts. For each year, indicators refer to regulation in force on the 1st of January. For more information and full methodology, see OECD Indicators of Employment Protection webpage Last data update: May 2022 OECD statistics contact: ELS.Contact@oecd.org