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Labour · World Bank income group

Labour in high-income countries: how the countries rank

Who works and who is looking for work, by ILO modelled estimates. 13 indicators for the 86 economies in the high income group, ranked within the group; the group figure is the World Bank aggregate.

Labour force734mhigh-income countries, 2025 · world 3.7bnParticipation rate61.0%high-income countries, 2025 · world 61.0%Women's participation54.3%high-income countries, 2025 · world 48.9%Employment rate58.3%high-income countries, 2025 · world 58.1%Unemployment4.4%high-income countries, 2025 · world 4.8%Female unemployment4.6%high-income countries, 2025 · world 4.9%Youth unemployment11.5%high-income countries, 2025 · world 13.4%Youth NEET rate10.6%high-income countries, 2025
Labour force
high-income countriesWorldlow-income countrieslower-middle-income countriesupper-middle-income countries
01.0bn2.0bn3.0bn4.0bn1995200020052010201520202025high-income countries734mWorldlow-income countrieslower-middle-income countriesupper-middle-income countries
Participation rate
high-income countriesWorldlow-income countrieslower-middle-income countriesupper-middle-income countries
55%60%65%70%75%1995200020052010201520202025high-income countries61.0%Worldlow-income countrieslower-middle-income countriesupper-middle-income countries
countries

All 86 economies, labour

Latest value and rank within the group (small figure). Click a column to sort; the country name opens its labour profile.

68 shown
CountryLabour forceParticipation rateWomen's participationEmployment rateUnemploymentFemale unemploymentYouth unemploymentYouth NEET rate
United States175m#1 · 202561.7%#33 · 202556.3%#26 · 202559.1%#30 · 20254.2%#40 · 20254.2%#44 · 20259.3%#46 · 202511.6%#24 · 2025
Russia72.8m#2 · 202561.1%#36 · 202554.5%#35 · 202559.8%#28 · 20252.1%#61 · 20252.2%#61 · 20257.6%#54 · 20256.7%#49 · 2025
Japan69.5m#3 · 202563.4%#29 · 202555.9%#27 · 202561.9%#20 · 20252.5%#57 · 20252.3%#59 · 20253.9%#62 · 20253.1%#59 · 2019
Germany43.5m#4 · 202560.6%#38 · 202555.3%#29 · 202558.3%#36 · 20253.7%#43 · 20253.4%#49 · 20256.9%#55 · 20258.2%#40 · 2025
United Kingdom35.4m#5 · 202561.4%#35 · 202557.3%#21 · 202558.5%#35 · 20254.7%#36 · 20254.4%#40 · 202514.6%#26 · 202514.4%#17 · 2025
France31.9m#6 · 202555.3%#54 · 202551.5%#46 · 202551.2%#53 · 20257.5%#13 · 20257.5%#17 · 202518.9%#19 · 202511.0%#27 · 2025
South Korea29.9m#7 · 202564.4%#26 · 202556.8%#23 · 202562.6%#17 · 20252.7%#56 · 20252.7%#58 · 20256.7%#58 · 2025—
Italy25.7m#8 · 202549.3%#62 · 202540.8%#60 · 202546.2%#62 · 20256.4%#20 · 20257.3%#18 · 202520.5%#13 · 20259.9%#31 · 2025
Spain24.8m#9 · 202557.4%#49 · 202552.8%#41 · 202551.5%#52 · 202510.4%#5 · 202511.9%#5 · 202524.7%#5 · 20259.4%#33 · 2025
Canada22.8m#10 · 202564.5%#25 · 202560.2%#17 · 202560.1%#27 · 20256.9%#15 · 20256.6%#20 · 202513.8%#33 · 202513.3%#20 · 2025
Saudi Arabia18.4m#11 · 202565.1%#19 · 202533.6%#62 · 202563.1%#16 · 20253.0%#50 · 20259.7%#9 · 202510.0%#43 · 202516.4%#12 · 2025
Poland18.2m#12 · 202558.3%#44 · 202551.6%#45 · 202556.6%#42 · 20253.0%#51 · 20253.1%#55 · 202510.7%#40 · 202510.1%#30 · 2025
Australia15.1m#13 · 202566.5%#14 · 202562.5%#7 · 202563.8%#12 · 20254.1%#41 · 20254.0%#46 · 20259.6%#44 · 20258.4%#38 · 2025
Netherlands10.3m#14 · 202567.2%#11 · 202562.7%#6 · 202564.6%#11 · 20253.9%#42 · 20254.1%#45 · 20258.8%#50 · 20253.9%#58 · 2025
Chile10.3m#15 · 202562.3%#31 · 202552.9%#40 · 202556.7%#41 · 20259.0%#8 · 20259.6%#10 · 202521.6%#9 · 202513.4%#18 · 2025
Romania8.2m#16 · 202551.3%#61 · 202541.8%#59 · 202548.3%#58 · 20256.0%#24 · 20255.6%#29 · 202524.5%#6 · 202516.5%#11 · 2025
United Arab Emirates7.6m#17 · 202578.6%#2 · 202553.0%#39 · 202576.9%#2 · 20252.2%#60 · 20254.2%#43 · 20256.5%#59 · 20257.5%#44 · 2025
Sweden5.7m#18 · 202564.6%#24 · 202561.5%#12 · 202559.0%#31 · 20258.7%#9 · 20258.6%#14 · 202524.3%#7 · 20255.0%#55 · 2025
Czechia5.6m#19 · 202560.3%#41 · 202553.5%#38 · 202558.6%#34 · 20252.8%#53 · 20253.3%#53 · 20259.2%#47 · 20254.9%#56 · 2025
Portugal5.5m#20 · 202558.2%#45 · 202554.6%#34 · 202554.6%#47 · 20256.2%#23 · 20256.5%#21 · 202520.2%#14 · 20256.9%#47 · 2025
Belgium5.5m#21 · 202554.3%#57 · 202549.8%#49 · 202551.1%#54 · 20255.9%#26 · 20255.6%#28 · 202517.8%#23 · 20257.4%#45 · 2025
Switzerland5.2m#22 · 202566.7%#13 · 202562.2%#9 · 202563.5%#14 · 20254.9%#35 · 20255.0%#38 · 20259.0%#48 · 20257.0%#46 · 2025
Hungary4.9m#23 · 202560.6%#37 · 202554.3%#37 · 202557.8%#37 · 20254.5%#39 · 20254.4%#41 · 202514.2%#28 · 20259.5%#32 · 2025
Israel4.8m#24 · 202565.5%#17 · 202562.3%#8 · 202563.2%#15 · 20253.5%#46 · 20253.4%#51 · 20256.0%#60 · 202515.3%#15 · 2024
Austria4.8m#25 · 202560.1%#42 · 202555.1%#32 · 202556.8%#40 · 20255.6%#27 · 20255.2%#35 · 202511.0%#39 · 202513.4%#19 · 2025
Greece4.7m#26 · 202552.0%#60 · 202544.7%#57 · 202547.5%#60 · 20258.5%#10 · 202511.3%#6 · 202521.4%#12 · 202510.4%#29 · 2025
Hong Kong3.8m#27 · 202556.4%#52 · 202551.8%#44 · 202554.8%#46 · 20252.8%#55 · 20252.3%#60 · 20259.0%#49 · 20256.0%#53 · 2025
Singapore3.8m#28 · 202569.7%#8 · 202563.6%#4 · 202567.7%#6 · 20252.8%#54 · 20252.9%#56 · 20256.8%#56 · 20256.5%#50 · 2025
Denmark3.3m#29 · 202564.9%#21 · 202560.8%#16 · 202561.3%#22 · 20255.5%#29 · 20255.7%#27 · 202511.7%#38 · 20257.9%#42 · 2025
Norway3.1m#30 · 202565.6%#16 · 202562.1%#10 · 202562.6%#18 · 20254.6%#37 · 20254.3%#42 · 202513.4%#35 · 20256.2%#52 · 2025
Bulgaria3.1m#31 · 202556.1%#53 · 202550.4%#48 · 202554.1%#48 · 20253.5%#45 · 20253.3%#54 · 202510.2%#42 · 202511.5%#25 · 2025
New Zealand3.1m#32 · 202570.4%#7 · 202566.1%#3 · 202566.8%#8 · 20255.1%#32 · 20255.3%#33 · 202514.4%#27 · 202512.8%#21 · 2024
Kuwait2.9m#33 · 202573.4%#5 · 202547.2%#54 · 202571.8%#4 · 20252.2%#59 · 20256.0%#25 · 202515.1%#25 · 2025—
Ireland2.9m#34 · 202564.8%#22 · 202559.8%#18 · 202561.8%#21 · 20254.6%#38 · 20254.5%#39 · 202510.5%#41 · 20256.4%#51 · 2025
Finland2.9m#35 · 202559.7%#43 · 202556.5%#25 · 202554.0%#49 · 20259.5%#6 · 20258.9%#12 · 202521.5%#10 · 20259.1%#35 · 2025
Oman2.8m#36 · 202568.4%#9 · 202530.0%#63 · 202566.2%#10 · 20253.3%#48 · 202511.1%#7 · 202513.9%#31 · 202525.5%#4 · 2022
Slovakia2.8m#37 · 202560.4%#40 · 202555.1%#31 · 202557.2%#39 · 20255.4%#30 · 20255.8%#26 · 202518.4%#21 · 20258.0%#41 · 2025
Costa Rica2.4m#38 · 202557.7%#47 · 202546.0%#56 · 202553.7%#50 · 20256.8%#16 · 20257.8%#16 · 202519.9%#15 · 202519.4%#7 · 2025
Panama2.3m#39 · 202566.3%#15 · 202554.9%#33 · 202560.8%#24 · 20258.4%#11 · 202510.4%#8 · 202519.8%#16 · 202515.1%#16 · 2025
Qatar2.2m#40 · 202587.0%#1 · 202561.9%#11 · 202586.9%#1 · 20250.1%#63 · 20250.4%#63 · 20250.6%#63 · 2025—
Uruguay1.8m#41 · 202565.0%#20 · 202557.3%#22 · 202560.1%#26 · 20257.5%#14 · 20258.7%#13 · 202525.1%#3 · 202512.6%#22 · 2025
Croatia1.7m#42 · 202552.1%#59 · 202547.4%#52 · 202549.5%#56 · 20255.0%#33 · 20255.1%#36 · 202516.5%#24 · 20259.0%#37 · 2025
Lithuania1.6m#43 · 202562.9%#30 · 202557.7%#19 · 202558.7%#33 · 20256.7%#17 · 20256.3%#24 · 202513.8%#34 · 202512.5%#23 · 2025
Puerto Rico1.2m#44 · 202542.8%#63 · 202536.9%#61 · 202540.2%#63 · 20256.0%#25 · 20255.1%#37 · 202514.0%#30 · 202519.5%#6 · 2020
Slovenia1.0m#45 · 202557.6%#48 · 202552.3%#43 · 202555.7%#45 · 20253.2%#49 · 20253.4%#50 · 20259.5%#45 · 20256.8%#48 · 2025
Latvia948,428#46 · 202560.5%#39 · 202555.2%#30 · 202556.5%#43 · 20256.6%#18 · 20255.5%#30 · 202512.9%#36 · 20259.1%#36 · 2025
Bahrain919,501#47 · 202570.4%#6 · 202542.3%#58 · 202569.7%#5 · 20251.1%#62 · 20253.6%#48 · 20255.4%#61 · 2025—
Cyprus770,268#48 · 202567.0%#12 · 202561.2%#13 · 202563.7%#13 · 20254.9%#34 · 20255.5%#31 · 202512.7%#37 · 20259.4%#34 · 2025
Estonia754,206#49 · 202565.1%#18 · 202561.0%#15 · 202559.7%#29 · 20258.3%#12 · 20258.0%#15 · 202519.7%#17 · 202510.9%#28 · 2025
Trinidad and Tobago651,715#50 · 202557.8%#46 · 202547.8%#51 · 202555.8%#44 · 20253.3%#47 · 20253.9%#47 · 20258.2%#53 · 202515.8%#13 · 2024
Macao401,572#51 · 202567.8%#10 · 202563.1%#5 · 202566.3%#9 · 20252.3%#58 · 20252.1%#62 · 20256.8%#57 · 20255.0%#54 · 2016
Luxembourg355,974#52 · 202561.5%#34 · 202557.5%#20 · 202557.6%#38 · 20256.3%#21 · 20256.5%#22 · 202521.5%#11 · 20257.7%#43 · 2025
Guyana326,682#53 · 202555.0%#55 · 202547.4%#53 · 202548.4%#57 · 202512.0%#1 · 202513.4%#1 · 202524.9%#4 · 202531.3%#2 · 2024
Malta323,052#54 · 202564.0%#28 · 202555.8%#28 · 202562.1%#19 · 20252.9%#52 · 20252.8%#57 · 20258.4%#52 · 20258.4%#39 · 2025
Bahamas245,159#55 · 202573.8%#4 · 202570.7%#1 · 202567.0%#7 · 20259.2%#7 · 20259.2%#11 · 202519.2%#18 · 2025—
Iceland242,507#56 · 202574.9%#3 · 202570.0%#2 · 202572.2%#3 · 20253.6%#44 · 20253.4%#52 · 20258.7%#51 · 20254.0%#57 · 2025
Brunei237,763#57 · 202564.2%#27 · 202554.4%#36 · 202560.8%#23 · 20255.3%#31 · 20255.3%#34 · 202518.2%#22 · 202518.4%#8 · 2025
Barbados151,620#58 · 202564.7%#23 · 202561.0%#14 · 202560.5%#25 · 20256.5%#19 · 20257.0%#19 · 202518.5%#20 · 202529.0%#3 · 2016
New Caledonia131,488#59 · 202556.4%#50 · 202551.1%#47 · 202550.1%#55 · 202511.2%#4 · 202512.1%#4 · 202533.1%#2 · 202524.7%#5 · 2023
French Polynesia120,628#60 · 202552.4%#58 · 202546.6%#55 · 202546.3%#61 · 202511.7%#2 · 202512.5%#2 · 202536.6%#1 · 2025—
Channel Islands81,617#61 · 202556.4%#51 · 202549.2%#50 · 202552.9%#51 · 20256.2%#22 · 20256.5%#23 · 202514.1%#29 · 2025—
Guam78,007#62 · 202562.3%#32 · 202556.5%#24 · 202558.8%#32 · 20255.6%#28 · 20255.4%#32 · 202513.8%#32 · 2025—
US Virgin Islands47,132#63 · 202554.4%#56 · 202552.8%#42 · 202548.1%#59 · 202511.4%#3 · 202512.2%#3 · 202524.2%#8 · 2025—
Antigua and Barbuda———————15.8%#14 · 2023
Curaçao———————17.5%#10 · 2020
Nauru———————50.4%#1 · 2024
Palau———————11.3%#26 · 2023
Seychelles———————17.8%#9 · 2025
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)Ranks count group members with a value in the recent window.
within the group

Highest and lowest, indicator by indicator

Labour force63 countries
  1. 1United States175m2025
  2. 2Russia72.8m2025
  3. 3Japan69.5m2025
Lowest
  1. 63US Virgin Islands47,1322025
  2. 62Guam78,0072025
  3. 61Channel Islands81,6172025
Median country 3.1m · group 734m
Participation rate63 countries
  1. 1Qatar87.0%2025
  2. 2United Arab Emirates78.6%2025
  3. 3Iceland74.9%2025
Lowest
  1. 63Puerto Rico42.8%2025
  2. 62Italy49.3%2025
  3. 61Romania51.3%2025
Median country 62.3% · group 61.0%
Women's participation63 countries
  1. 1Bahamas70.7%2025
  2. 2Iceland70.0%2025
  3. 3New Zealand66.1%2025
Lowest
  1. 63Oman30.0%2025
  2. 62Saudi Arabia33.6%2025
  3. 61Puerto Rico36.9%2025
Median country 55.1% · group 54.3%
Employment rate63 countries
  1. 1Qatar86.9%2025
  2. 2United Arab Emirates76.9%2025
  3. 3Iceland72.2%2025
Lowest
  1. 63Puerto Rico40.2%2025
  2. 62Italy46.2%2025
  3. 61French Polynesia46.3%2025
Median country 58.8% · group 58.3%
Unemployment63 countries
  1. 1Guyana12.0%2025
  2. 2French Polynesia11.7%2025
  3. 3US Virgin Islands11.4%2025
Lowest
  1. 63Qatar0.1%2025
  2. 62Bahrain1.1%2025
  3. 61Russia2.1%2025
Median country 5.1% · group 4.4%
Female unemployment63 countries
  1. 1Guyana13.4%2025
  2. 2French Polynesia12.5%2025
  3. 3US Virgin Islands12.2%2025
Lowest
  1. 63Qatar0.4%2025
  2. 62Macao2.1%2025
  3. 61Russia2.2%2025
Median country 5.4% · group 4.6%
Youth unemployment63 countries
  1. 1French Polynesia36.6%2025
  2. 2New Caledonia33.1%2025
  3. 3Uruguay25.1%2025
Lowest
  1. 63Qatar0.6%2025
  2. 62Japan3.9%2025
  3. 61Bahrain5.4%2025
Median country 13.8% · group 11.5%
Youth NEET rate59 countries
  1. 1Nauru50.4%2024
  2. 2Guyana31.3%2024
  3. 3Barbados29.0%2016
Lowest
  1. 59Japan3.1%2019
  2. 58Netherlands3.9%2025
  3. 57Iceland4.0%2025
Median country 10.1% · group 10.6%
Wage workers63 countries
  1. 1Qatar99.2%2025
  2. 2Bahrain97.6%2025
  3. 3Kuwait96.8%2025
Lowest
  1. 63Panama59.4%2025
  2. 62Guyana68.9%2025
  3. 61Greece69.5%2025
Median country 86.9% · group 88.9%
Vulnerable employment63 countries
  1. 1Panama37.9%2025
  2. 2Guyana25.3%2025
  3. 3Uruguay24.4%2025
Lowest
  1. 63Qatar0.5%2025
  2. 62Bahrain0.7%2025
  3. 61United Arab Emirates1.5%2025
Median country 9.5% · group 8.0%
Jobs in agriculture63 countries
  1. 1Panama16.0%2025
  2. 2Guyana12.2%2025
  3. 3Costa Rica11.5%2025
Lowest
  1. 63Singapore0.1%2025
  2. 62Hong Kong0.2%2025
  3. 61Macao0.4%2025
Median country 2.3% · group 2.9%
Jobs in industry63 countries
  1. 1Oman39.4%2025
  2. 2Qatar38.0%2025
  3. 3Bahrain34.9%2025
Lowest
  1. 63Luxembourg7.6%2025
  2. 62Macao11.0%2025
  3. 61Channel Islands12.6%2025
Median country 19.9% · group 22.2%
Jobs in services63 countries
  1. 1Luxembourg91.5%2025
  2. 2Macao88.6%2025
  3. 3Singapore85.9%2025
Lowest
  1. 63Oman54.6%2025
  2. 62Romania56.5%2025
  3. 61Guyana56.7%2025
Median country 74.6% · group 74.9%
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