Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in East Asia & Pacific
East Asia & Pacific: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 3.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in East Asia & Pacific, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
East Asia & Pacific recorded 3.8% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2025.
That represents a change of down 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 4.5% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 1992.
That places East Asia & Pacific 45th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in East Asia & Pacific, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.5% | — |
| 1992 | 2.5% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | +10.4% |
| 1994 | 3.0% | +9.9% |
| 1995 | 3.1% | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 3.2% | +3.8% |
| 1997 | 3.3% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 3.5% | +8.9% |
| 1999 | 3.7% | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 3.6% | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 4.0% | +11.3% |
| 2002 | 4.3% | +7.6% |
| 2003 | 4.5% | +5.0% |
| 2004 | 4.4% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 4.5% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 4.4% | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 4.3% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 4.4% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 4.5% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 4.2% | -5.6% |
| 2011 | 4.1% | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 4.1% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 4.1% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 4.0% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 4.1% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 4.0% | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 3.9% | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 3.8% | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 3.8% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 4.3% | +12.3% |
| 2021 | 4.1% | -5.5% |
| 2022 | 4.1% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 3.9% | -5.8% |
| 2024 | 3.8% | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 3.8% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.0% | 2.5% | 3.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 4.3% | 3.6% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.0% | 3.8% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.0% | 3.8% | 4.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific
More education data for East Asia & Pacific
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 174.05 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 191.34 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4731 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0801 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 17.6% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 68.5% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 10.94 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in East Asia & Pacific?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in East Asia & Pacific was 3.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 4.5% in 2003.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 1992.
- How does East Asia & Pacific rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- East Asia & Pacific ranks 45th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total 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.