Unemployment with advanced education in North America
North America: Unemployment with advanced education was 3.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment with advanced education in North America, 1994–2025
Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total labor force with advanced education.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment with advanced education in North America stood at 3.4%.
That represents a change of up 11.9% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment with advanced education in North America peaked at 5.9% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 2000.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.
Unemployment with advanced education in North America, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force with advanced education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 3.7% | — |
| 1995 | 3.5% | -7.3% |
| 1996 | 3.4% | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 3.0% | -11.5% |
| 1998 | 2.7% | -10.2% |
| 1999 | 2.6% | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 2.4% | -10.1% |
| 2001 | 3.0% | +24.9% |
| 2002 | 3.6% | +22.4% |
| 2003 | 3.7% | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 3.4% | -9.2% |
| 2005 | 3.0% | -10.9% |
| 2006 | 2.8% | -8.6% |
| 2007 | 2.7% | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 3.2% | +18.8% |
| 2009 | 5.4% | +69.5% |
| 2010 | 5.5% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 5.2% | -6.2% |
| 2012 | 4.8% | -6.9% |
| 2013 | 4.4% | -8.2% |
| 2014 | 3.9% | -12.1% |
| 2015 | 3.3% | -14.1% |
| 2016 | 3.3% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 3.1% | -7.3% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | -8.8% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 5.9% | +115.9% |
| 2021 | 3.9% | -32.8% |
| 2022 | 2.6% | -33.9% |
| 2023 | 2.7% | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 3.0% | +12.4% |
| 2025 | 3.4% | +11.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.1% | 2.6% | 3.7% | 6 |
| 2000s | 3.3% | 2.4% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 2.7% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.6% | 2.6% | 5.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 15 Malawi 11.3% compare
- 16 Iran, Islamic Republic of 11.3% compare
- 17 Pakistan 11.1% compare
- 18 Bangladesh 10.9% compare
- 19 Côte d'Ivoire 10.5% compare
- 20 Uganda 9.9% compare
- 21 Nigeria 9.2% compare
More work & labour data for North America
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 56.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 62.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 51.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 52.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 52.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 69.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 74.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.8% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 84.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 67.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment with advanced education in North America?
- Unemployment with advanced education in North America was 3.4% in 2025, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment with advanced education recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment with advanced education recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 2000.
- How does North America rank for unemployment with advanced education?
- North America ranks 18th out of 19 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment with advanced education rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America 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).