Yemen: the labour market
Labour force is 8.2m (2025), 66th of 187 in the world and 9th of 23 in the Middle East & North Africa. Participation rate is 33.1% (2025), 185th of 187 in the world and 22nd of 23 in the Middle East & North Africa. Women's participation is 4.7% (2025), 187th of 187 in the world and 23rd of 23 in the Middle East & North Africa.
Labour: Yemen in detail
Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.
| Indicator | Latest | World rank | In region | ~2000 | ~2010 | ~2020 | 10-year change | Region | Income group | World | Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour forceLabour force, total | 8.2m2025 | 66/187 | 9/23 | 4.5m | 6.0m | 6.9m | +40%since 2015 | 264m | 267m | 3.7bn | |
| Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+ | 33.1%2025 | 185/187 | 22/23 | 45.2% | 39.7% | 32.5% | +1.0 ppsince 2015 | 47.4% | 64.4% | 61.0% | |
| Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+ | 4.7%2025 | 187/187 | 23/23 | 20.2% | 10.0% | 4.9% | −0.5 ppsince 2015 | 19.7% | 54.7% | 48.9% | |
| Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO) | 27.4%2025 | 185/187 | 22/23 | 40.0% | 34.6% | 26.7% | +1.0 ppsince 2015 | 43.7% | 61.2% | 58.1% | |
| UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO) | 17.3%2025 | 12/187 | 4/23 | 11.6% | 12.8% | 18.0% | −0.6 ppsince 2015 | 7.8% | 4.9% | 4.8% | |
| Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO) | 30.3%2025 | 5/187 | 3/23 | 9.2% | 20.2% | 29.5% | +0.5 ppsince 2015 | 12.1% | 4.7% | 4.9% | |
| Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO) | 32.6%2025 | 18/187 | 7/23 | 18.6% | 22.0% | 34.5% | −0.1 ppsince 2015 | 18.7% | 10.1% | 13.4% | |
| Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, % | 44.8%2014 | — | — | · | · | · | — | 32.2% | — | — | |
| Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment | 47.4%2025 | 134/187 | 21/23 | 50.5% | 51.3% | 47.1% | −2.4 ppsince 2015 | 61.0% | 21.1% | 53.6% | |
| Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO) | 45.6%2025 | 60/187 | 3/23 | 42.4% | 41.6% | 45.9% | +2.3 ppsince 2015 | 36.1% | 76.1% | 42.4% | |
| Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment | 31.6%2025 | 56/187 | 3/23 | 54.8% | 29.2% | 32.1% | +1.2 ppsince 2015 | 21.7% | 59.4% | 25.8% | |
| Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment | 11.1%2025 | 161/187 | 22/23 | 10.1% | 16.0% | 11.8% | −1.9 ppsince 2015 | 26.6% | 10.2% | 23.7% | |
| Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment | 57.3%2025 | 101/187 | 16/23 | 35.1% | 54.8% | 56.1% | +0.7 ppsince 2015 | 51.7% | 30.4% | 50.6% |
Better than ten years ago
- Employment rate+1.0 pp27.4% in 2025
- Unemployment−0.6 pp17.3% in 2025
- Youth unemployment−0.1 pp32.6% in 2025
Worse than ten years ago
- Women's participation−0.5 pp4.7% in 2025
- Female unemployment+0.5 pp30.3% in 2025
- Wage workers−2.4 pp47.4% in 2025
- Vulnerable employment+2.3 pp45.6% in 2025
Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).
Yemen and its neighbours
Countries sharing a land border with Yemen. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.
| Indicator | Yemen | Saudi Arabia | Oman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour force | 8.2m2025 | 18.4m2025 | 2.8m2025 |
| Participation rate | 33.1%2025 | 65.1%2025 | 68.4%2025 |
| Women's participation | 4.7%2025 | 33.6%2025 | 30.0%2025 |
| Employment rate | 27.4%2025 | 63.1%2025 | 66.2%2025 |
| Unemployment | 17.3%2025 | 3.0%2025 | 3.3%2025 |
| Female unemployment | 30.3%2025 | 9.7%2025 | 11.1%2025 |
| Youth unemployment | 32.6%2025 | 10.0%2025 | 13.9%2025 |
| Youth NEET rate | 44.8%2014 | 16.4%2025 | 25.5%2022 |
| Wage workers | 47.4%2025 | 94.5%2025 | 95.0%2025 |