Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Australia
Australia: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) was 4.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
4.3%
Change on year
up 7.1%
World rank
101st
of 181 countries
All-time high
11.5%
in 1993
All-time low
3.8%
in 2023
Years of data
47
1979–2025
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Australia, 1979–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Australia recorded 4.3% for unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in 2025.
The figure is up 7.1% on the previous year and down 28.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Australia peaked at 11.5% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 2023.
Australia ranks 101st of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 47 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 5.2% | — |
| 1980 | 5.1% | -1.8% |
| 1981 | 4.8% | -5.1% |
| 1982 | 6.4% | +32.1% |
| 1983 | 9.7% | +53.0% |
| 1984 | 8.7% | -10.6% |
| 1985 | 7.9% | -8.6% |
| 1986 | 7.7% | -3.4% |
| 1987 | 7.8% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 6.8% | -12.8% |
| 1989 | 5.7% | -15.6% |
| 1990 | 6.7% | +18.0% |
| 1991 | 9.9% | +46.8% |
| 1992 | 11.3% | +14.4% |
| 1993 | 11.5% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 10.0% | -13.3% |
| 1995 | 8.7% | -12.4% |
| 1996 | 8.7% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 8.6% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 7.9% | -7.5% |
| 1999 | 7.0% | -11.4% |
| 2000 | 6.5% | -8.3% |
| 2001 | 7.0% | +8.1% |
| 2002 | 6.5% | -6.4% |
| 2003 | 5.9% | -9.8% |
| 2004 | 5.3% | -10.3% |
| 2005 | 4.9% | -7.6% |
| 2006 | 4.7% | -4.3% |
| 2007 | 4.0% | -13.5% |
| 2008 | 4.0% | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 5.7% | +44.0% |
| 2010 | 5.1% | -10.9% |
| 2011 | 4.9% | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 5.1% | +5.0% |
| 2013 | 5.7% | +11.1% |
| 2014 | 6.0% | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 6.0% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 5.7% | -6.4% |
| 2017 | 5.5% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 5.3% | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 5.2% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 6.4% | +24.2% |
| 2021 | 5.2% | -19.8% |
| 2022 | 3.8% | -26.8% |
| 2023 | 3.8% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 4.0% | +7.8% |
| 2025 | 4.3% | +7.1% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 4.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.8%, 90% of the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Australia's 4.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.5%, 1.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 1 |
| 1980s | 7.0% | 4.8% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.0% | 6.7% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.4% | 4.0% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 4.9% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.6% | 3.8% | 6.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 98 Hong Kong 4.4% compare
- 99 Sao Tome and Principe 4.4% compare
- 100 United States 4.4% compare
- 102 Kazakhstan 4.3% compare
- 103 Brunei 4.2% compare
- 104 Germany 4.1% compare
More work & labour data for Australia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.5057 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4907 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.5202 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9895 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8931 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 30,186 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 3,001 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 21,642 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 21,502 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 43,144 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Australia?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Australia was 4.3% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 11.5% in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 2023.
- How does Australia rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Australia ranks 101st out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 47 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.