Niccolo Conte
2025-06-20 08:12:00
www.visualcapitalist.com
Charted: Unemployment Rates in OECD Countries
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Key Takeaways
- Japan and Mexico have the lowest unemployment rates at 2.5%
- Spain’s unemployment rate of 10.9% is the highest of all OECD countries
- Unemployment rates in Türkiye, Slovenia, and Slovakia are at their lowest levels since 2001
As of March 2025, the average unemployment rate across OECD countries stood at 4.9%, nearly in line with its lowest level since 2001.
However, behind that average lies a wide spectrum, ranging from countries at near-record unemployment lows to others grappling with high joblessness.
This chart breaks down unemployment rates in OECD countries using seasonally adjusted data from March 2025, and compares them to each country’s lowest rate since 2001.
The State of OECD Labor Markets
Asian and Central European countries topped the rankings with the lowest unemployment rates in the OECD.
| Country | Unemployment Rate (March 2025) | Lowest Unemployment Rate Since 2001 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
Japan  |
2.5% | 2.2% | 0.3% |
Mexico  |
2.5% | 2.3% | 0.2% |
Czechia  |
2.6% | 1.8% | 0.8% |
Poland  |
2.7% | 2.6% | 0.1% |
Korea  |
2.9% | 2.5% | 0.4% |
Israel  |
2.9% | 2.6% | 0.3% |
Slovenia  |
3.2% | 3.2% | 0.0% |
Germany  |
3.5% | 2.9% | 0.6% |
Iceland  |
3.6% | 2.7% | 0.9% |
Netherlands  |
3.9% | 3.1% | 0.8% |
Ireland  |
4.0% | 3.9% | 0.1% |
Australia  |
4.1% | 3.4% | 0.7% |
Hungary  |
4.2% | 3.0% | 1.2% |
United States  |
4.2% | 3.4% | 0.8% |
Norway  |
4.4% | 2.4% | 2.0% |
United Kingdom  |
4.5% | 3.6% | 0.9% |
Switzerland  |
4.5% | 3.8% | 0.7% |
OECD Avg.  |
4.9% | 4.8% | 0.1% |
Slovak Republic  |
5.0% | 5.0% | 0.0% |
New Zealand  |
5.1% | 3.2% | 1.9% |
Austria  |
5.4% | 3.6% | 1.8% |
European Union  |
5.8% | 5.8% | 0.0% |
Belgium  |
5.9% | 4.9% | 1.0% |
Italy  |
6.0% | 5.8% | 0.2% |
| Euro area |
6.2% | 6.2% | 0.0% |
Luxembourg  |
6.4% | 1.8% | 4.6% |
Lithuania  |
6.4% | 4.0% | 2.4% |
Portugal  |
6.5% | 5.1% | 1.4% |
Canada  |
6.7% | 4.8% | 1.9% |
Latvia  |
6.7% | 5.3% | 1.4% |
Denmark  |
7.1% | 3.2% | 3.9% |
France  |
7.3% | 6.9% | 0.4% |
Costa Rica  |
7.5% | 6.6% | 0.9% |
Türkiye  |
7.9% | 7.9% | 0.0% |
Sweden  |
8.1% | 5.6% | 2.5% |
Chile  |
8.6% | 5.6% | 3.0% |
Estonia  |
8.7% | 3.9% | 4.8% |
Greece  |
9.0% | 7.3% | 1.7% |
Finland  |
9.5% | 5.7% | 3.8% |
Colombia  |
9.6% | 8.5% | 1.1% |
Spain  |
10.9% | 7.9% | 3.0% |
Japan and Mexico lead with 2.5% unemployment rate. Their two capital cities, Tokyo and Mexico City, are also among the cities with the largest working-age populations globally.
The European countries of Czechia (2.6%), Poland (2.7%) follow, while Israel has the lowest unemployment rate in the Middle East. Current unemployment is only slightly above historical lows for these top five countries, suggesting resilient labor markets over time.
Furthermore, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Türkiye matched or were at their lowest unemployment rates since 2001, although the latter two countries lie above the OECD average.
At the other end of the spectrum, Spain (10.9%), Colombia (9.6%), Finland (9.5%), and Greece (9.0%) have the highest unemployment rates.
Meanwhile, unemployment in major economies like the U.S. (4.2%), U.K. (4.5%), and Germany (3.5%) remains below the OECD average.
Countries with Historically High Unemployment
While most European nations have relatively low unemployment rates, some are far above their historical lows.
| Country | Unemployment Rate (March 2025) | Lowest Unemployment Rate Since 2001 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia |
8.7% | 3.9% | 4.8% |
| Luxembourg |
6.4% | 1.8% | 4.6% |
| Denmark |
7.1% | 3.2% | 3.9% |
| Finland |
9.5% | 5.7% | 3.8% |
| Spain |
10.9% | 7.9% | 3.0% |
| Chile |
8.6% | 5.6% | 3.0% |
While unemployment in Spain and is well above historical lows, the country has the highest workplace productivity in Europe, according to research by Ricoh Europe.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
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