Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in East Asia & Pacific
East Asia & Pacific: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 3.9% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in East Asia & Pacific, 1990–2022
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
East Asia & Pacific recorded 3.9% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2022.
The figure is down 12.0% on the previous year and up 31.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 4.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 1991.
East Asia & Pacific ranks 33rd of 33 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in East Asia & Pacific, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.5% | — |
| 1991 | 1.6% | -37.7% |
| 1992 | 1.6% | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 1.7% | +5.2% |
| 1994 | 1.8% | +8.6% |
| 1995 | 1.7% | -7.6% |
| 1996 | 2.0% | +18.3% |
| 1997 | 2.2% | +8.9% |
| 1998 | 2.9% | +36.2% |
| 1999 | 3.0% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 4.1% | +39.3% |
| 2001 | 2.5% | -40.3% |
| 2002 | 2.8% | +14.7% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | -10.7% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | -3.5% |
| 2005 | 2.8% | +16.6% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | -6.7% |
| 2007 | 2.5% | -4.6% |
| 2008 | 2.7% | +7.5% |
| 2009 | 2.9% | +5.4% |
| 2010 | 3.2% | +12.5% |
| 2011 | 3.0% | -6.5% |
| 2012 | 3.0% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 3.0% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 3.1% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 3.2% | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 3.6% | +11.2% |
| 2017 | 3.4% | -4.4% |
| 2018 | 4.2% | +21.5% |
| 2019 | 4.2% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 4.7% | +11.6% |
| 2021 | 4.4% | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 3.9% | -12.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.1% | 1.6% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.8% | 2.4% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.4% | 3.0% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.3% | 3.9% | 4.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific
- 30 Spain 10.5% compare
- 31 Mauritania 10.4% compare
- 32 Angola 10.4% compare
- 33 Bahamas 10.3% compare
- 34 New Caledonia 10.2% compare
- 35 Ukraine 9.8% compare
- 36 Marshall Islands 9.8% compare
More work & labour data for East Asia & Pacific
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 72.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 65.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 43.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 49.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 46.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 67.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 73.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.6% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 80.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 58.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in East Asia & Pacific?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in East Asia & Pacific was 3.9% in 2022, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 4.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 1991.
- How does East Asia & Pacific rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- East Asia & Pacific ranks 33rd out of 33 groups with data for 2022.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 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.