Netherlands vs United States of America: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force)

Netherlands
3.9%
in 2025
United States of America
4.2%
in 2025
Netherlands rank
121st
United States of America rank
118th

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) over time

  • Netherlands
  • United States of America
246810199120082025

How they compare

United States of America currently reports 4.2% against 3.9% in Netherlands, a difference of 0.3%.

That makes United States of America's figure about 1.1 times Netherlands's.

The two have swapped places 7 times across 35 shared years of data; in 1991 it was Netherlands ahead.

Netherlands ranks 121st and United States of America ranks 118th of 187 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 1 and United States of America in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Netherlands United States of America Difference Ahead
1990s 5.9% 5.8% 0.1% Netherlands
2000s 3.9% 5.5% 1.7% United States of America
2010s 5.5% 6.2% 0.7% United States of America
2020s 3.8% 4.8% 1.0% 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), Netherlands or United States of America?
United States of America, at 4.2% against 3.9% in Netherlands as of 2025.
What is the difference in unemployment, total (% of total labor force) between Netherlands and United States of America?
0.3%, with United States of America ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and United States of America?
35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
How do Netherlands and United States of America rank globally for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
Netherlands ranks 121st 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.

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Netherlands vs United States of America: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force). Statizoid, drawing on ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/unemployment-total-percent-of-total-labor-force-modeled-ilo-estimate/netherlands/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate)
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
235 places, 8,211 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.