Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) in United States
United States: Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) was 7,314 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in United States, 1994–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
United States recorded 7,314 for unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in 2025.
That represents a change of up 8.2% on the previous year and down 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United States peaked at 14,825 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 5,692, in 2000.
That places United States 3rd out of 78 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.
Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 8,027 | — |
| 1995 | 7,486 | -6.7% |
| 1996 | 7,312 | -2.3% |
| 1997 | 6,826 | -6.6% |
| 1998 | 6,210 | -9.0% |
| 1999 | 5,880 | -5.3% |
| 2000 | 5,692 | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 6,801 | +19.5% |
| 2002 | 8,378 | +23.2% |
| 2003 | 8,774 | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 8,149 | -7.1% |
| 2005 | 7,591 | -6.9% |
| 2006 | 7,001 | -7.8% |
| 2007 | 7,078 | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 8,924 | +26.1% |
| 2009 | 14,264 | +59.8% |
| 2010 | 14,825 | +3.9% |
| 2011 | 13,748 | -7.3% |
| 2012 | 12,506 | -9.0% |
| 2013 | 11,460 | -8.4% |
| 2014 | 9,617 | -16.1% |
| 2015 | 8,296 | -13.7% |
| 2016 | 7,751 | -6.6% |
| 2017 | 6,982 | -9.9% |
| 2018 | 6,314 | -9.6% |
| 2019 | 6,001 | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 12,948 | +115.8% |
| 2021 | 8,623 | -33.4% |
| 2022 | 5,996 | -30.5% |
| 2023 | 6,080 | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 6,761 | +11.2% |
| 2025 | 7,314 | +8.2% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 7,314 is above the median for high income countries, which is 183.16, 39.9× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +115.8% | 6,001 | 12,948 |
| 2009 | +59.8% | 8,924 | 14,264 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6,957 | 5,880 | 8,027 | 6 |
| 2000s | 8,265 | 5,692 | 14,264 | 10 |
| 2010s | 9,750 | 6,001 | 14,825 | 10 |
| 2020s | 7,954 | 5,996 | 12,948 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
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)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.4 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.05 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 159,991 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 141,322 (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United States?
- Unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United States was 7,314 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 14,825 in 2010.
- What is the lowest unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,692 in 2000.
- How does United States rank for unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- United States ranks 3rd out of 78 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
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 International Labour Migration Statistics (ILMS) database description.