Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in North America
North America: Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) was 11.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in North America, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in North America is 11.3%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 11.2% on the previous year and down 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in North America peaked at 20.5% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 1966.
That places North America 18th out of 21 groups 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, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in North America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 11.5% | — |
| 1961 | 13.3% | +15.7% |
| 1962 | 11.2% | -15.8% |
| 1963 | 12.1% | +8.0% |
| 1964 | 11.1% | -8.3% |
| 1965 | 9.5% | -14.4% |
| 1966 | 7.7% | -18.9% |
| 1967 | 7.9% | +2.6% |
| 1968 | 7.8% | -1.3% |
| 1969 | 7.8% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 11.1% | +42.3% |
| 1971 | 12.8% | +15.3% |
| 1972 | 11.9% | -7.0% |
| 1973 | 9.9% | -16.8% |
| 1974 | 11.5% | +16.2% |
| 1975 | 16.6% | +44.3% |
| 1976 | 14.6% | -11.9% |
| 1977 | 13.4% | -8.2% |
| 1978 | 12.0% | -10.6% |
| 1979 | 11.6% | -3.7% |
| 1980 | 14.5% | +25.3% |
| 1981 | 15.5% | +7.0% |
| 1982 | 19.3% | +24.3% |
| 1983 | 18.8% | -2.7% |
| 1984 | 14.9% | -20.6% |
| 1985 | 14.4% | -3.0% |
| 1986 | 13.9% | -3.5% |
| 1987 | 12.8% | -8.3% |
| 1988 | 11.5% | -10.0% |
| 1989 | 11.5% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 11.8% | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 14.7% | +24.8% |
| 1992 | 15.7% | +6.9% |
| 1993 | 14.8% | -5.8% |
| 1994 | 13.7% | -7.9% |
| 1995 | 12.9% | -5.4% |
| 1996 | 13.1% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 12.4% | -5.5% |
| 1998 | 11.6% | -6.6% |
| 1999 | 10.8% | -7.0% |
| 2000 | 10.1% | -6.2% |
| 2001 | 11.7% | +15.9% |
| 2002 | 13.1% | +11.5% |
| 2003 | 13.5% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 12.9% | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 12.5% | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 11.4% | -9.2% |
| 2007 | 11.6% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 14.2% | +22.5% |
| 2009 | 19.9% | +40.1% |
| 2010 | 20.5% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 18.5% | -9.8% |
| 2012 | 17.5% | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 16.8% | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 14.6% | -13.5% |
| 2015 | 13.0% | -11.1% |
| 2016 | 11.7% | -9.5% |
| 2017 | 10.5% | -10.0% |
| 2018 | 9.7% | -7.6% |
| 2019 | 9.7% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 15.6% | +61.0% |
| 2021 | 10.9% | -29.9% |
| 2022 | 9.0% | -17.5% |
| 2023 | 9.0% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 10.1% | +12.5% |
| 2025 | 11.3% | +11.2% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in North America 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 | +61.0% | 9.7% | 15.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.0% | 7.7% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 12.5% | 9.9% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.7% | 11.5% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.2% | 10.8% | 15.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.1% | 10.1% | 19.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.2% | 9.7% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.0% | 9.0% | 15.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
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, male (% of male population ages 15+) 67.3% (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, 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, female (% of female population ages) 69.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 74.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in North America?
- Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in North America was 11.3% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 20.5% in 2010.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.7% in 1966.
- How does North America rank for unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24)?
- North America ranks 18th out of 21 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.