Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Japan
Japan: Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) was 1,760 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Japan, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Japan recorded 1,760 for unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in 2025.
The figure is down 20.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Japan peaked at 2,345 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 1,607, in 2019.
That places Japan 5th out of 72 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2,345 | — |
| 2015 | 2,214 | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 2,068 | -6.6% |
| 2017 | 1,882 | -9.0% |
| 2018 | 1,673 | -11.1% |
| 2019 | 1,607 | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 1,917 | +19.3% |
| 2021 | 1,915 | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 1,795 | -6.3% |
| 2023 | 1,782 | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 1,760 | -1.2% |
| 2025 | 1,760 | +0.0% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 1,760 is above the median for high income countries, which is 169.05, 10.4× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Japan's 1,760 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 159.8, 11.0× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1,965 | 1,607 | 2,345 | 6 |
| 2020s | 1,822 | 1,760 | 1,917 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More work & labour data for Japan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5262 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4728 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.25 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.4618 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 103,039 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,756 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 39,867 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 36,979 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 76,846 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Japan?
- Unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Japan was 1,760 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 2,345 in 2014.
- What is the lowest unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,607 in 2019.
- How does Japan rank for unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19)?
- Japan ranks 5th out of 72 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
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 unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.