Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Japan
Japan: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 2.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
2.5%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
161st
of 187 countries
All-time high
5.4%
in 2002
All-time low
1.1%
in 1964
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Japan, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Japan stood at 2.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 26.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Japan peaked at 5.4% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1964.
That places Japan 161st out of 187 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, total (% of total labor force) in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.7% | — |
| 1961 | 1.4% | -17.6% |
| 1962 | 1.3% | -7.1% |
| 1963 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 1.1% | -15.4% |
| 1965 | 1.2% | +9.1% |
| 1966 | 1.3% | +8.3% |
| 1967 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 1.2% | -7.7% |
| 1969 | 1.1% | -8.3% |
| 1970 | 1.1% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 1.2% | +9.1% |
| 1972 | 1.4% | +16.7% |
| 1973 | 1.3% | -7.1% |
| 1974 | 1.4% | +7.7% |
| 1975 | 1.9% | +35.7% |
| 1976 | 2.0% | +5.3% |
| 1977 | 2.0% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 2.2% | +10.0% |
| 1979 | 2.1% | -4.5% |
| 1980 | 2.0% | -4.8% |
| 1981 | 2.2% | +10.0% |
| 1982 | 2.4% | +9.1% |
| 1983 | 2.6% | +8.3% |
| 1984 | 2.7% | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 2.6% | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 2.8% | +7.7% |
| 1987 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 2.5% | -10.7% |
| 1989 | 2.3% | -8.0% |
| 1990 | 2.1% | -8.7% |
| 1991 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 2.2% | +4.8% |
| 1993 | 2.5% | +13.6% |
| 1994 | 2.9% | +16.0% |
| 1995 | 3.2% | +10.3% |
| 1996 | 3.4% | +6.2% |
| 1997 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 4.1% | +20.6% |
| 1999 | 4.7% | +14.6% |
| 2000 | 4.7% | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 5.0% | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 5.4% | +7.3% |
| 2003 | 5.3% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 4.7% | -9.8% |
| 2005 | 4.4% | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 4.2% | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 3.9% | -7.3% |
| 2008 | 4.0% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 5.1% | +26.6% |
| 2010 | 5.1% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 4.5% | -10.8% |
| 2012 | 4.4% | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 4.0% | -7.3% |
| 2014 | 3.6% | -11.1% |
| 2015 | 3.4% | -5.7% |
| 2016 | 3.1% | -7.5% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | -9.9% |
| 2018 | 2.5% | -12.6% |
| 2019 | 2.4% | -4.7% |
| 2020 | 2.8% | +19.5% |
| 2021 | 2.8% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 2.6% | -6.9% |
| 2023 | 2.6% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 2.5% | -3.3% |
| 2025 | 2.5% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.7% | 1.1% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.5% | 2.0% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.1% | 2.1% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.7% | 3.9% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.6% | 2.4% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 158 Seychelles 2.6% compare
- 159 Macau, China 2.5% compare
- 159 Mexico 2.5% compare
- 162 Tanzania, United Republic of 2.4% compare
- 163 Philippines 2.4% compare
- 164 Côte d'Ivoire 2.3% compare
- 164 Liechtenstein 2.3% compare
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, total (% of total labor force) in Japan?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Japan was 2.5% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 5.4% in 2002.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1964.
- How does Japan rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Japan ranks 161st out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.1%. 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, total (% of total 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.