Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in North America
North America: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 4.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in North America, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in North America stood at 4.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.1% on the previous year and down 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in North America peaked at 9.5% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 2022.
North America ranks 32nd of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in North America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 7.2% | — |
| 1992 | 7.9% | +9.9% |
| 1993 | 7.3% | -6.6% |
| 1994 | 6.5% | -10.9% |
| 1995 | 6.0% | -7.9% |
| 1996 | 5.9% | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 5.4% | -7.8% |
| 1998 | 4.9% | -9.6% |
| 1999 | 4.6% | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 4.3% | -6.1% |
| 2001 | 5.0% | +16.5% |
| 2002 | 6.0% | +20.0% |
| 2003 | 6.2% | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 5.7% | -7.3% |
| 2005 | 5.3% | -7.8% |
| 2006 | 4.8% | -8.4% |
| 2007 | 4.8% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 5.8% | +22.0% |
| 2009 | 9.2% | +57.1% |
| 2010 | 9.5% | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 8.8% | -7.1% |
| 2012 | 8.0% | -9.2% |
| 2013 | 7.3% | -8.1% |
| 2014 | 6.3% | -14.8% |
| 2015 | 5.5% | -12.8% |
| 2016 | 5.1% | -6.5% |
| 2017 | 4.6% | -10.3% |
| 2018 | 4.1% | -10.3% |
| 2019 | 3.9% | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 8.2% | +111.6% |
| 2021 | 5.6% | -32.1% |
| 2022 | 3.8% | -31.5% |
| 2023 | 3.8% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 4.3% | +11.7% |
| 2025 | 4.5% | +5.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.2% | 4.6% | 7.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.7% | 4.3% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.3% | 3.9% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 3.8% | 8.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 29 Algeria 11.6% compare
- 30 United States Virgin Islands 11.4% compare
- 31 Rwanda 11.4% compare
- 32 New Caledonia 11.2% compare
- 33 Bosnia and Herzegovina 11.0% compare
- 34 Lebanon 11.0% compare
- 35 Albania 10.9% compare
More education data for North America
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 26.20 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.2703 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0687 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 28.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.04 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 16.9% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 64.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in North America?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in North America was 4.5% 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 North America?
- The highest recorded value was 9.5% in 2010.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 2022.
- How does North America rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- North America ranks 32nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North America 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.