Unemployment with advanced education in Canada
Canada: Unemployment with advanced education was 5.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment with advanced education in Canada, 1990–2025
Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total labor force with advanced education.
Analysis
Canada recorded 5.4% for unemployment with advanced education in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.2% on the previous year and up 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment with advanced education in Canada peaked at 8.2% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 4.1%, in 2022.
Canada ranks 53rd of 130 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Unemployment with advanced education in Canada, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force with advanced education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5.4% | — |
| 1991 | 7.0% | +29.0% |
| 1992 | 7.9% | +12.3% |
| 1993 | 8.2% | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 7.7% | -6.7% |
| 1995 | 6.8% | -10.6% |
| 1996 | 7.0% | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 6.5% | -8.0% |
| 1998 | 5.7% | -11.0% |
| 1999 | 5.3% | -7.9% |
| 2000 | 4.7% | -11.2% |
| 2001 | 5.3% | +13.1% |
| 2002 | 5.6% | +5.4% |
| 2003 | 5.6% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 5.3% | -5.7% |
| 2005 | 5.0% | -5.2% |
| 2006 | 4.8% | -4.5% |
| 2007 | 4.5% | -7.2% |
| 2008 | 4.7% | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 6.2% | +33.4% |
| 2010 | 6.1% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 5.7% | -7.0% |
| 2012 | 5.6% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 5.4% | -4.6% |
| 2014 | 5.4% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 5.3% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 5.5% | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 5.1% | -7.2% |
| 2018 | 4.6% | -9.6% |
| 2019 | 4.4% | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 7.6% | +71.3% |
| 2021 | 5.9% | -21.9% |
| 2022 | 4.1% | -30.7% |
| 2023 | 4.2% | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 4.9% | +16.5% |
| 2025 | 5.4% | +9.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.8% | 5.3% | 8.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 4.5% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.3% | 4.4% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.4% | 4.1% | 7.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 50 Ecuador 5.7% compare
- 51 Tanzania, United Republic of 5.5% compare
- 52 Azerbaijan 5.5% compare
- 54 Brunei Darussalam 5.3% compare
- 55 Honduras 5.3% compare
- 56 Saudi Arabia 5.1% compare
More work & labour data for Canada
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.3334 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3231 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6552 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 39,234 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,715 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 26,798 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 26,814 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 53,612 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment with advanced education in Canada?
- Unemployment with advanced education in Canada was 5.4% in 2025, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment with advanced education recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 8.2% in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment with advanced education recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.1% in 2022.
- How does Canada rank for unemployment with advanced education?
- Canada ranks 53rd out of 130 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment with advanced education rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment with advanced education (% of total labor force with advanced education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The percentage of the labor force with an advanced level of education who are unemployed. Advanced education comprises short-cycle tertiary education, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education level, a master’s degree or equivalent education level, or doctoral degree or equivalent education level according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).