Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Japan
Japan: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 2.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Japan, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Japan stood at 2.6%.
That represents a change of down 2.0% on the previous year and down 28.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Japan peaked at 5.6% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 1991.
Japan ranks 156th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.9% | — |
| 1992 | 2.1% | +8.0% |
| 1993 | 2.4% | +16.1% |
| 1994 | 2.8% | +16.2% |
| 1995 | 3.1% | +8.5% |
| 1996 | 3.4% | +9.2% |
| 1997 | 3.4% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 4.1% | +22.8% |
| 1999 | 4.8% | +16.2% |
| 2000 | 4.9% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 5.2% | +6.1% |
| 2002 | 5.6% | +6.8% |
| 2003 | 5.5% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 5.0% | -10.0% |
| 2005 | 4.6% | -7.0% |
| 2006 | 4.4% | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 4.0% | -9.2% |
| 2008 | 4.1% | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 5.3% | +28.4% |
| 2010 | 5.5% | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 4.8% | -11.4% |
| 2012 | 4.6% | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 4.3% | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 3.8% | -12.7% |
| 2015 | 3.6% | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 3.4% | -6.9% |
| 2017 | 3.0% | -11.9% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | -10.4% |
| 2019 | 2.5% | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 3.0% | +21.4% |
| 2021 | 3.0% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 2.8% | -6.8% |
| 2023 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 2.6% | -6.9% |
| 2025 | 2.6% | -2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.1% | 1.9% | 4.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 4.8% | 4.0% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 2.5% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.8% | 2.6% | 3.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More education data for Japan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 627,777 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (1999)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.50 million (1999)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.46 million (1999)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.61 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.25 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.01 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0502 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Japan?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Japan was 2.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 5.6% in 2002.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 1991.
- How does Japan rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Japan ranks 156th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.