Unemployment of previously employed persons in Singapore
Singapore: Unemployment of previously employed persons was 122.9 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Unemployment of previously employed persons in Singapore, 1985–2020
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Singapore recorded 122.9 for unemployment of previously employed persons in 2020. That is the highest value across all 30 years on record.
That represents a change of up 30.2% on the previous year and up 89.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment of previously employed persons in Singapore peaked at 122.9 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 19.1, in 1985.
That places Singapore 61st out of 106 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Unemployment of previously employed persons in Singapore, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 19.1 | — |
| 1986 | 84.1 | +340.3% |
| 1987 | 62.4 | -25.8% |
| 1988 | 46.2 | -26.0% |
| 1989 | 30.7 | -33.5% |
| 1990 | 25.8 | -16.0% |
| 1991 | 30 | +16.3% |
| 1992 | 43.4 | +44.7% |
| 1993 | 43.7 | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 43.8 | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 47.2 | +7.8% |
| 1996 | 53.8 | +14.0% |
| 1997 | 38.5 | -28.4% |
| 1998 | 52.6 | +36.6% |
| 1999 | 77.5 | +47.3% |
| 2001 | 61.9 | -20.1% |
| 2002 | 94.2 | +52.2% |
| 2003 | 101 | +7.2% |
| 2004 | 101.3 | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 84.5 | -16.6% |
| 2007 | 74.8 | -11.5% |
| 2008 | 76.2 | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 86.9 | +14.0% |
| 2010 | 64.8 | -25.4% |
| 2011 | 60.6 | -6.5% |
| 2012 | 60 | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 59.8 | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 84.5 | +41.3% |
| 2017 | 94.4 | +11.7% |
| 2020 | 122.9 | +30.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 48.5 | 19.1 | 84.1 | 5 |
| 1990s | 45.63 | 25.8 | 77.5 | 10 |
| 2000s | 85.1 | 61.9 | 101.3 | 8 |
| 2010s | 70.68 | 59.8 | 94.4 | 6 |
| 2020s | 122.9 | 122.9 | 122.9 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More work & labour data for Singapore
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.967 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.9557 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.9779 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1059 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,575 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 0 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,077 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,086 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 4,163 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, per unit 0 1000 No per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment of previously employed persons in Singapore?
- Unemployment of previously employed persons in Singapore was 122.9 in 2020, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest unemployment of previously employed persons recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 122.9 in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment of previously employed persons recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.1 in 1985.
- How does Singapore rank for unemployment of previously employed persons?
- Singapore ranks 61st out of 106 countries with data for 2020.
- Is unemployment of previously employed persons rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 89.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Singapore data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Unemployment of previously employed persons (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 30 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 is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. 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. Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. Data disaggregated by level of education are provided on the highest level of education completed, classified according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCED. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.