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Labour · World Bank income group

Labour in upper-middle-income countries: how the countries rank

Who works and who is looking for work, by ILO modelled estimates. 13 indicators for the 59 economies in the upper-middle income group, ranked within the group; the group figure is the World Bank aggregate.

Labour force1.5bngroup, 2025 · world 3.7bnParticipation rate62.7%group, 2025 · world 61.0%Women's participation53.4%group, 2025 · world 48.9%Employment rate59.5%group, 2025 · world 58.1%Unemployment5.2%group, 2025 · world 4.8%Female unemployment5.1%group, 2025 · world 4.9%Youth unemployment15.6%group, 2025 · world 13.4%Youth NEET rate17.3%group, 2000
Labour force
upper-middle-income countriesWorldlow-income countrieslower-middle-income countrieshigh-income countries
01.0bn2.0bn3.0bn4.0bn1995200020052010201520202025upper-middle-income countries1.5bnWorldlow-income countrieslower-middle-income countrieshigh-income countries
Participation rate
upper-middle-income countriesWorldlow-income countrieslower-middle-income countrieshigh-income countries
55%60%65%70%75%1995200020052010201520202025upper-middle-income countries62.7%Worldlow-income countrieslower-middle-income countrieshigh-income countries
countries

All 59 economies, labour

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

57 shown
CountryLabour forceParticipation rateWomen's participationEmployment rateUnemploymentFemale unemploymentYouth unemploymentYouth NEET rate
China768m#1 · 202564.6%#14 · 202559.1%#10 · 202561.6%#12 · 20254.6%#36 · 20254.0%#40 · 202515.8%#27 · 2025—
Indonesia147m#2 · 202568.0%#8 · 202553.7%#16 · 202565.8%#7 · 20253.2%#45 · 20253.0%#44 · 202513.0%#33 · 202521.6%#21 · 2023
Brazil108m#3 · 202563.1%#21 · 202553.4%#18 · 202559.4%#20 · 20256.0%#26 · 20257.3%#28 · 202514.0%#31 · 202518.7%#31 · 2025
Mexico61.7m#4 · 202561.6%#25 · 202547.5%#34 · 202560.0%#18 · 20252.7%#46 · 20252.7%#45 · 20255.7%#48 · 202516.2%#39 · 2025
Vietnam57.0m#5 · 202572.8%#2 · 202568.6%#2 · 202571.7%#1 · 20251.5%#51 · 20251.4%#51 · 20256.2%#46 · 202510.3%#47 · 2024
Philippines52.2m#6 · 202561.4%#26 · 202550.5%#28 · 202560.0%#17 · 20252.2%#48 · 20252.5%#49 · 20257.0%#45 · 202516.5%#38 · 2024
Thailand40.9m#7 · 202566.7%#11 · 202559.0%#12 · 202566.2%#6 · 20250.8%#53 · 20250.8%#53 · 20254.5%#50 · 202512.4%#46 · 2025
Türkiye36.9m#8 · 202554.4%#39 · 202537.1%#46 · 202549.7%#38 · 20258.5%#19 · 202511.6%#14 · 202516.0%#26 · 202523.3%#17 · 2025
Iran29.5m#9 · 202541.0%#51 · 202514.0%#52 · 202537.6%#50 · 20258.3%#21 · 202515.6%#9 · 202521.9%#17 · 202524.3%#16 · 2024
Colombia27.1m#10 · 202563.4%#19 · 202551.6%#24 · 202558.1%#21 · 20258.3%#22 · 202510.5%#21 · 202517.7%#24 · 202522.0%#20 · 2025
South Africa26.7m#11 · 202555.6%#37 · 202549.9%#30 · 202537.6%#49 · 202532.4%#1 · 202534.0%#1 · 202559.9%#1 · 202534.6%#5 · 2024
Argentina22.4m#12 · 202561.9%#24 · 202552.5%#21 · 202557.5%#23 · 20257.1%#24 · 20258.1%#24 · 202519.2%#21 · 202515.2%#41 · 2025
Ukraine20.5m#13 · 202154.6%#38 · 202147.7%#32 · 202149.3%#40 · 20219.8%#16 · 202110.2%#22 · 202119.1%#22 · 202116.5%#37 · 2017
Peru19.2m#14 · 202572.9%#1 · 202565.0%#3 · 202569.1%#3 · 20255.1%#31 · 20255.8%#34 · 20259.5%#41 · 202522.8%#18 · 2022
Malaysia18.7m#15 · 202566.1%#12 · 202551.6%#23 · 202563.6%#9 · 20253.8%#40 · 20253.9%#41 · 202512.0%#36 · 202510.2%#48 · 2022
Algeria13.6m#16 · 202540.8%#52 · 202514.1%#51 · 202536.0%#51 · 202511.6%#13 · 202520.6%#7 · 202529.4%#9 · 202520.9%#23 · 2017
Iraq12.5m#17 · 202541.5%#50 · 202510.9%#53 · 202535.1%#52 · 202515.5%#7 · 202530.1%#2 · 202532.0%#7 · 202536.9%#4 · 2021
Kazakhstan10.0m#18 · 202567.8%#10 · 202562.6%#6 · 202564.5%#8 · 20254.8%#35 · 20255.5%#35 · 20253.8%#53 · 20259.5%#49 · 2016
Ecuador9.0m#19 · 202564.5%#15 · 202552.4%#22 · 202562.4%#10 · 20253.3%#42 · 20254.1%#38 · 20258.2%#43 · 202517.7%#34 · 2025
Sri Lanka8.3m#20 · 202548.5%#46 · 202531.0%#48 · 202546.6%#42 · 20254.0%#39 · 20256.5%#31 · 202518.6%#23 · 202517.2%#36 · 2024
Guatemala7.7m#21 · 202559.6%#29 · 202538.3%#44 · 202558.1%#22 · 20252.6%#47 · 20253.3%#43 · 20254.8%#49 · 202522.3%#19 · 2025
Dominican Republic5.5m#22 · 202564.8%#13 · 202553.7%#17 · 202561.5%#13 · 20255.1%#32 · 20257.7%#25 · 202512.3%#35 · 202524.7%#15 · 2025
Azerbaijan5.1m#23 · 202563.3%#20 · 202560.8%#8 · 202559.8%#19 · 20255.5%#28 · 20256.3%#32 · 202513.1%#32 · 2025—
Cuba4.9m#24 · 202552.2%#41 · 202540.0%#41 · 202551.3%#35 · 20251.7%#50 · 20251.9%#50 · 20254.3%#51 · 2025—
Belarus4.8m#25 · 202562.7%#22 · 202556.8%#14 · 202560.6%#15 · 20253.4%#41 · 20252.7%#46 · 20259.2%#42 · 202565.7%#1 · 2024
Paraguay3.5m#26 · 202570.2%#4 · 202559.0%#11 · 202566.9%#5 · 20254.8%#34 · 20256.1%#33 · 202511.7%#38 · 202518.6%#32 · 2017
Serbia3.3m#27 · 202559.1%#31 · 202552.6%#19 · 202554.9%#30 · 20257.1%#25 · 20257.5%#27 · 202520.9%#18 · 202512.7%#45 · 2025
Jordan3.2m#28 · 202540.1%#53 · 202516.0%#50 · 202533.4%#53 · 202516.5%#6 · 202523.3%#6 · 202538.9%#5 · 202529.4%#9 · 2024
El Salvador3.0m#29 · 202562.1%#23 · 202549.1%#31 · 202560.1%#16 · 20253.3%#43 · 20253.6%#42 · 20257.8%#44 · 202519.1%#30 · 2025
Libya2.6m#30 · 202548.0%#47 · 202533.0%#47 · 202539.0%#48 · 202518.8%#4 · 202525.2%#5 · 202550.1%#2 · 2025—
Turkmenistan2.2m#31 · 202542.0%#49 · 202538.2%#45 · 202540.2%#47 · 20254.3%#38 · 20252.5%#48 · 202510.0%#40 · 2025—
Georgia2.0m#32 · 202564.3%#16 · 202556.7%#15 · 202556.5%#26 · 202512.1%#11 · 202510.7%#20 · 202530.3%#8 · 202515.3%#40 · 2025
Jamaica1.6m#33 · 202569.6%#5 · 202563.0%#5 · 202567.3%#4 · 20253.3%#44 · 20254.3%#37 · 202510.8%#39 · 202519.7%#28 · 2023
Armenia1.5m#34 · 202559.4%#30 · 202551.1%#27 · 202551.7%#34 · 202512.9%#9 · 202513.8%#11 · 202526.2%#13 · 202520.2%#26 · 2023
Mongolia1.5m#35 · 202559.7%#28 · 202551.5%#25 · 202556.6%#25 · 20255.2%#30 · 20254.5%#36 · 202511.7%#37 · 20259.0%#51 · 2025
Moldova1.4m#36 · 202572.3%#3 · 202572.3%#1 · 202571.2%#2 · 20251.5%#52 · 20251.2%#52 · 20254.2%#52 · 20259.1%#50 · 2025
Bosnia and Herzegovina1.3m#37 · 202549.0%#45 · 202539.2%#42 · 202543.6%#44 · 202511.0%#14 · 202513.3%#13 · 202528.2%#12 · 202514.5%#42 · 2025
Albania1.3m#38 · 202564.3%#17 · 202558.6%#13 · 202557.2%#24 · 202510.9%#15 · 202511.2%#16 · 202525.6%#14 · 202521.0%#22 · 2024
Botswana1.2m#39 · 202568.8%#6 · 202563.7%#4 · 202552.0%#33 · 202524.5%#2 · 202527.9%#4 · 202546.0%#3 · 202538.0%#3 · 2024
Gabon844,145#40 · 202551.1%#43 · 202541.6%#39 · 202540.8%#45 · 202520.2%#3 · 202528.6%#3 · 202536.3%#6 · 202520.2%#25 · 2024
North Macedonia789,369#41 · 202551.9%#42 · 202542.7%#37 · 202545.6%#43 · 202512.3%#10 · 202511.1%#17 · 202528.8%#10 · 202519.5%#29 · 2025
Equatorial Guinea737,977#42 · 202560.5%#27 · 202552.6%#20 · 202555.5%#28 · 20258.3%#20 · 20259.3%#23 · 202515.7%#28 · 202517.5%#35 · 2023
Mauritius622,328#43 · 202558.5%#33 · 202547.5%#33 · 202555.2%#29 · 20255.6%#27 · 20257.6%#26 · 202517.4%#25 · 202513.9%#44 · 2024
Fiji390,290#44 · 202557.2%#35 · 202538.5%#43 · 202554.1%#31 · 20255.3%#29 · 20256.9%#30 · 202515.2%#30 · 202520.8%#24 · 2024
Montenegro296,618#45 · 202558.0%#34 · 202551.2%#26 · 202550.1%#37 · 202513.6%#8 · 202514.2%#10 · 202524.4%#16 · 202514.2%#43 · 2024
Maldives272,320#46 · 202563.5%#18 · 202540.7%#40 · 202560.6%#14 · 20254.5%#37 · 20254.1%#39 · 202515.7%#29 · 202526.3%#11 · 2019
Suriname257,128#47 · 202553.8%#40 · 202544.9%#36 · 202549.6%#39 · 20257.8%#23 · 202510.8%#18 · 202525.4%#15 · 202518.2%#33 · 2016
Cabo Verde226,448#48 · 202557.0%#36 · 202550.5%#29 · 202550.2%#36 · 202511.9%#12 · 202511.4%#15 · 202528.4%#11 · 202528.0%#10 · 2019
Belize184,286#49 · 202559.1%#32 · 202546.5%#35 · 202553.9%#32 · 20258.9%#18 · 202513.5%#12 · 202519.3%#20 · 202524.9%#14 · 2019
Saint Lucia101,771#50 · 202568.3%#7 · 202562.0%#7 · 202561.8%#11 · 20259.5%#17 · 202510.7%#19 · 202520.3%#19 · 202525.5%#13 · 2025
Samoa57,776#51 · 202542.5%#48 · 202530.7%#49 · 202540.4%#46 · 20255.0%#33 · 20257.3%#29 · 202513.0%#34 · 202530.1%#7 · 2022
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines53,688#52 · 202567.9%#9 · 202559.2%#9 · 202555.7%#27 · 202518.0%#5 · 202516.0%#8 · 202541.9%#4 · 2025—
Tonga33,628#53 · 202549.8%#44 · 202542.3%#38 · 202548.8%#41 · 20252.0%#49 · 20252.5%#47 · 20256.0%#47 · 202525.6%#12 · 2023
Grenada———————20.1%#27 · 2023
Kosovo———————30.0%#8 · 2024
Marshall Islands———————40.0%#2 · 2021
Tuvalu———————34.3%#6 · 2022
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 force53 countries
  1. 1China768m2025
  2. 2Indonesia147m2025
  3. 3Brazil108m2025
Lowest
  1. 53Tonga33,6282025
  2. 52Saint Vincent and the Grenadines53,6882025
  3. 51Samoa57,7762025
Median country 3.3m · group 1.5bn
Participation rate53 countries
  1. 1Peru72.9%2025
  2. 2Vietnam72.8%2025
  3. 3Moldova72.3%2025
Lowest
  1. 53Jordan40.1%2025
  2. 52Algeria40.8%2025
  3. 51Iran41.0%2025
Median country 60.5% · group 62.7%
Women's participation53 countries
  1. 1Moldova72.3%2025
  2. 2Vietnam68.6%2025
  3. 3Peru65.0%2025
Lowest
  1. 53Iraq10.9%2025
  2. 52Iran14.0%2025
  3. 51Algeria14.1%2025
Median country 51.1% · group 53.4%
Employment rate53 countries
  1. 1Vietnam71.7%2025
  2. 2Moldova71.2%2025
  3. 3Peru69.1%2025
Lowest
  1. 53Jordan33.4%2025
  2. 52Iraq35.1%2025
  3. 51Algeria36.0%2025
Median country 55.7% · group 59.5%
Unemployment53 countries
  1. 1South Africa32.4%2025
  2. 2Botswana24.5%2025
  3. 3Gabon20.2%2025
Lowest
  1. 53Thailand0.8%2025
  2. 52Moldova1.5%2025
  3. 51Vietnam1.5%2025
Median country 5.6% · group 5.2%
Female unemployment53 countries
  1. 1South Africa34.0%2025
  2. 2Iraq30.1%2025
  3. 3Gabon28.6%2025
Lowest
  1. 53Thailand0.8%2025
  2. 52Moldova1.2%2025
  3. 51Vietnam1.4%2025
Median country 7.5% · group 5.1%
Youth unemployment53 countries
  1. 1South Africa59.9%2025
  2. 2Libya50.1%2025
  3. 3Botswana46.0%2025
Lowest
  1. 53Kazakhstan3.8%2025
  2. 52Moldova4.2%2025
  3. 51Cuba4.3%2025
Median country 15.8% · group 15.6%
Youth NEET rate51 countries
  1. 1Belarus65.7%2024
  2. 2Marshall Islands40.0%2021
  3. 3Botswana38.0%2024
Lowest
  1. 51Mongolia9.0%2025
  2. 50Moldova9.1%2025
  3. 49Kazakhstan9.5%2016
Median country 20.2% · group 17.3%
Wage workers53 countries
  1. 1Belarus93.2%2025
  2. 2Jordan88.8%2025
  3. 3North Macedonia83.4%2025
Lowest
  1. 53Azerbaijan33.0%2025
  2. 52Moldova41.2%2025
  3. 51Vietnam46.7%2025
Median country 67.6% · group 61.3%
Vulnerable employment53 countries
  1. 1Moldova58.6%2025
  2. 2Azerbaijan53.8%2025
  3. 3Vietnam51.4%2025
Lowest
  1. 53Belarus6.3%2025
  2. 52Jordan7.9%2025
  3. 51South Africa11.7%2025
Median country 29.8% · group 34.8%
Jobs in agriculture53 countries
  1. 1Equatorial Guinea55.3%2025
  2. 2Moldova50.5%2025
  3. 3Fiji35.6%2025
Lowest
  1. 53Jordan3.1%2025
  2. 52Montenegro4.2%2025
  3. 51Mauritius4.7%2025
Median country 15.5% · group 19.8%
Jobs in industry53 countries
  1. 1Vietnam34.8%2025
  2. 2Iran34.7%2025
  3. 3Algeria32.3%2025
Lowest
  1. 53Equatorial Guinea9.9%2025
  2. 52Moldova12.6%2025
  3. 51Fiji12.7%2025
Median country 21.1% · group 27.7%
Jobs in services53 countries
  1. 1Jordan80.8%2025
  2. 2Montenegro77.6%2025
  3. 3Saint Lucia76.3%2025
Lowest
  1. 53Equatorial Guinea34.7%2025
  2. 52Moldova36.9%2025
  3. 51Vietnam40.1%2025
Median country 60.1% · group 52.4%
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Other topics in upper-middle-income countries

Upper-middle income: overview
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