Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Japan
Japan: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 2.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
2.7%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
143rd
of 181 countries
All-time high
5.6%
in 2002
All-time low
1.1%
in 1964
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Japan, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Japan stood at 2.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 25.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Japan peaked at 5.6% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1964.
That places Japan 143rd out of 181 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.6% | — |
| 1961 | 1.4% | -12.5% |
| 1962 | 1.2% | -14.3% |
| 1963 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 1.1% | -8.3% |
| 1965 | 1.1% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 1.3% | +18.2% |
| 1967 | 1.2% | -7.7% |
| 1968 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 1.3% | +8.3% |
| 1972 | 1.5% | +15.4% |
| 1973 | 1.3% | -13.3% |
| 1974 | 1.4% | +7.7% |
| 1975 | 2.0% | +42.9% |
| 1976 | 2.2% | +10.0% |
| 1977 | 2.1% | -4.5% |
| 1978 | 2.4% | +14.3% |
| 1979 | 2.2% | -8.3% |
| 1980 | 2.0% | -9.1% |
| 1981 | 2.3% | +15.0% |
| 1982 | 2.4% | +4.3% |
| 1983 | 2.7% | +12.5% |
| 1984 | 2.7% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 2.6% | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 2.7% | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 2.8% | +3.7% |
| 1988 | 2.5% | -10.7% |
| 1989 | 2.2% | -12.0% |
| 1990 | 2.0% | -9.1% |
| 1991 | 2.0% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 2.1% | +5.0% |
| 1993 | 2.4% | +14.3% |
| 1994 | 2.8% | +16.7% |
| 1995 | 3.1% | +10.7% |
| 1996 | 3.4% | +9.7% |
| 1997 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 4.2% | +23.5% |
| 1999 | 4.8% | +14.3% |
| 2000 | 4.9% | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 5.2% | +6.2% |
| 2002 | 5.6% | +6.8% |
| 2003 | 5.5% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 5.0% | -10.0% |
| 2005 | 4.6% | -7.0% |
| 2006 | 4.4% | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 4.0% | -9.3% |
| 2008 | 4.1% | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 5.3% | +28.4% |
| 2010 | 5.5% | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 4.8% | -11.4% |
| 2012 | 4.6% | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 4.3% | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 3.8% | -12.7% |
| 2015 | 3.6% | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 3.4% | -6.9% |
| 2017 | 3.0% | -11.9% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | -10.4% |
| 2019 | 2.5% | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 3.0% | +21.3% |
| 2021 | 3.0% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 2.8% | -6.8% |
| 2023 | 2.8% | -2.3% |
| 2024 | 2.7% | -2.2% |
| 2025 | 2.7% | +0.0% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 2.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.9%, 55% of the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Japan's 2.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.5%, 78% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.8% | 1.2% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.5% | 2.0% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.0% | 2.0% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.9% | 4.0% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 2.5% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.8% | 2.7% | 3.0% | 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, male (% of male labor force) in Japan?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Japan was 2.7% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 5.6% in 2002.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1964.
- How does Japan rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Japan ranks 143rd out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan 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
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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.