Australia vs United States of America: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force)
Australia
4.1%
in 2025
United States of America
4.2%
in 2025
Australia rank
119th
United States of America rank
118th
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) over time
- Australia
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 4.2% against 4.1% in Australia, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 35 shared years of data; in 1991 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 119th and United States of America ranks 118th of 187 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 1 and United States of America in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.0% | 5.8% | 3.2% | Australia |
| 2000s | 5.5% | 5.5% | 0.1% | United States of America |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 6.2% | 0.7% | United States of America |
| 2020s | 4.5% | 4.8% | 0.3% | United States of America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment, total (% of total labor force), Australia or United States of America?
- United States of America, at 4.2% against 4.1% in Australia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in unemployment, total (% of total labor force) between Australia and United States of America?
- 0.1%, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and United States of America?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
- How do Australia and United States of America rank globally for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Australia ranks 119th and United States of America ranks 118th of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.