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Last Updated: August 07, 2009 (updated monthly)
International Unemployment Rates and Employment Indexes, 2007-2009 (seasonally adjusted)
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Highlights
- Of the nine foreign countries covered in the BLS unemployment comparisons program, only two registered decreases in their unemployment rates for the most recent month available. See Chart 1 and Table 1.
- As of the latest month available, the highest unemployment rates were in France (9.7 percent) and the United States (9.5 percent).
- In other EU countries not covered in the BLS comparisons but tracked by BLS, unemployment rates have been rising particularly rapidly in Ireland and Spain. See Chart 2 and Table 2.
- Spain had, by far, the highest unemployment rate in the European Union in June.
- Employment declined or remained unchanged for the latest month available in all foreign countries covered by BLS, except for Sweden. See Table 3.
CHART 1. Monthly unemployment rates adjusted to U.S. concepts, 10 countries, seasonally adjusted, January 2008–June 2009
NOTE: Latest available monthly data are shown for each country. For Italy, data are for the respective quarter; a monthly indicator is not available. Refer to Table 1 for actual reference months and data values.
CHART 2. Monthly unemployment rates unadjusted by BLS, 10 European Union countries or areas, seasonally adjusted, January 2008–June 2009
NOTE: Latest available monthly data are shown for each country. For Greece, data are for the respective quarter; a monthly indicator is not available. Refer to Table 2 for actual reference months and data values.
TABLE 1. Unemployment rates adjusted to U.S. concepts, 10 countries, seasonally adjusted, 2007-2009
|
United
States |
Canada |
Australia |
Japan |
France
|
Germany
|
Italy
|
Nether-
lands |
Sweden |
United
Kingdom |
2007 |
4.6 |
5.3 |
4.4 |
3.9 |
8.6 |
8.7 |
6.2 |
3.2 |
6.1 |
5.4 |
2008 |
5.8 |
5.3 |
4.3 |
4.0 |
8.1 |
7.5 |
6.8 |
2.7 |
6.0 |
5.7 |
Qtr 1 2007 |
4.5 |
5.4 |
4.5 |
4.0 |
r 9.1 |
9.2 |
6.2 |
3.6 |
r 6.4 |
5.5 |
Qtr 2 2007 |
4.5 |
5.2 |
4.3 |
3.8 |
r 8.8 |
8.8 |
6.1 |
3.2 |
6.1 |
5.4 |
Qtr 3 2007 |
4.7 |
5.2 |
4.3 |
3.8 |
8.5 |
8.6 |
6.3 |
3.0 |
5.9 |
5.3 |
Qtr 4 2007 |
4.8 |
5.2 |
4.4 |
3.9 |
r 8.2 |
8.2 |
6.3 |
3.0 |
r 5.9 |
5.2 |
Qtr 1 2008 |
4.9 |
5.2 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
7.9 |
7.8 |
6.7 |
2.9 |
5.8 |
5.3 |
Qtr 2 2008 |
5.4 |
5.3 |
4.2 |
4.1 |
7.9 |
r 7.6 |
6.8 |
2.7 |
r 5.8 |
5.4 |
Qtr 3 2008 |
6.0 |
5.3 |
4.2 |
4.1 |
r 8.2 |
7.4 |
6.8 |
2.6 |
6.0 |
5.9 |
Qtr 4 2008 |
6.9 |
5.6 |
4.5 |
4.1 |
r 8.6 |
7.4 |
7.0 |
2.8 |
r 6.6 |
6.3 |
Qtr 1 2009 |
8.1 |
6.7 |
5.3 |
4.5 |
r 9.1 |
7.7 |
8.0 |
3.1 |
7.4 |
7.0 |
Qtr 2 2009 |
9.2 |
7.5 |
5.7 |
5.3 |
9.6 |
8.0 |
|
|
8.2 |
|
Jan 2008 |
4.9 |
5.1 |
4.2 |
3.9 |
r 8.0 |
r 8.0 |
|
2.9 |
r 6.1 |
5.2 |
Feb 2008 |
4.8 |
5.1 |
3.9 |
4.0 |
7.9 |
7.8 |
|
2.9 |
r 5.7 |
5.2 |
Mar 2008 |
5.1 |
5.3 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
7.9 |
r 7.7 |
|
r 2.9 |
r 5.6 |
5.3 |
Apr 2008 |
5.0 |
5.3 |
4.2 |
4.0 |
7.9 |
7.6 |
|
2.9 |
r 5.6 |
5.2 |
May 2008 |
5.5 |
5.3 |
4.2 |
4.0 |
r 8.0 |
7.6 |
|
2.8 |
r 5.6 |
5.4 |
Jun 2008 |
5.6 |
5.3 |
r 4.2 |
4.1 |
8.0 |
7.5 |
|
2.5 |
r 6.3 |
5.5 |
Jul 2008 |
5.8 |
5.3 |
4.3 |
4.1 |
r 8.1 |
r 7.5 |
|
2.4 |
r 5.9 |
5.8 |
Aug 2008 |
6.2 |
5.2 |
4.1 |
4.2 |
r 8.2 |
7.4 |
|
2.5 |
5.8 |
5.9 |
Sep 2008 |
6.2 |
5.4 |
4.3 |
4.0 |
r 8.3 |
r 7.4 |
|
2.7 |
6.2 |
6.0 |
Oct 2008 |
6.6 |
5.4 |
4.4 |
3.8 |
r 8.4 |
r 7.4 |
|
2.8 |
6.2 |
6.2 |
Nov 2008 |
6.8 |
5.7 |
4.5 |
4.0 |
r 8.6 |
r 7.4 |
|
2.8 |
r 6.7 |
6.3 |
Dec 2008 |
7.2 |
5.8 |
4.6 |
4.4 |
r 8.7 |
7.4 |
|
2.9 |
r 6.8 |
6.5 |
Jan 2009 |
7.6 |
6.3 |
4.9 |
4.2 |
r 8.9 |
7.6 |
|
3.0 |
r 7.0 |
6.7 |
Feb 2009 |
8.1 |
6.7 |
5.3 |
4.5 |
r 9.1 |
7.7 |
|
3.0 |
r 7.5 |
7.1 |
Mar 2009 |
8.5 |
6.9 |
5.7 |
4.9 |
r 9.3 |
7.8 |
|
3.2 |
r 7.7 |
7.2 |
Apr 2009 |
8.9 |
7.1 |
5.5 |
5.1 |
r 9.4 |
r 8.0 |
|
r 3.4 |
r 7.9 |
7.6 |
May 2009 |
9.4 |
7.6 |
5.7 |
5.2 |
9.6 |
8.0 |
|
3.3 |
r 8.6 |
|
Jun 2009 |
9.5 |
7.7 |
5.8 |
5.5 |
9.7 |
8.0 |
|
|
8.2 |
|
r=revised
NOTE: Data are on a civilian labor force basis. Foreign country data are adjusted to U.S. concepts. Although the U.S. lower age limit is 16 years, the age limit for other countries varies from 15 to 16 years. No adjustment is made for the treatment of layoffs. For some countries, no adjustment is made for the treatment of unpaid family workers, persons waiting to start a new job, and passive job seekers (for example, persons only reading newspaper ads as their method of job search). In the United States, job search must be "active," such as placing or answering advertisements, and simply reading ads is not enough to qualify as active search. These unadjusted differences have a negligible effect on the comparisons. For further information on comparability issues, see Constance Sorrentino, "International unemployment rates: how comparable are they?" Monthly Labor Review, June 2000, pp. 3-20, at www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2000/06/art1full.pdf.
For further qualifications and historical data, see "International comparisons of annual labor force statistics, 10 countries, 1960-2007," October 21, 2008, at www.bls.gov/ilc/flscomparelf.htm.
Data used to calculate unemployment rates come mainly from national statistical sources but also from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Statistical Office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT).
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TABLE 2. Unemployment rates unadjusted by BLS, 10 European Union countries or areas, seasonally adjusted, 2007-2009
|
EU-27
| Euro
Area
| Austria
| Belgium
| Denmark
| Finland
| Greece
| Ireland
| Portugal
| Spain
|
2007 |
7.1 |
7.4 |
4.4 |
7.5 |
3.8 |
6.9 |
8.3 |
4.6 |
8.1 |
8.3 |
2008 |
7.0 |
7.5 |
3.8 |
7.0 |
3.3 |
6.4 |
7.7 |
r 6.0 |
7.7 |
11.3 |
Qtr 1 2007 |
7.4 |
7.6 |
4.4 |
r 7.8 |
4.1 |
7.1 |
r 8.5 |
r 4.5 |
8.3 |
8.1 |
Qtr 2 2007 |
7.2 |
7.4 |
4.5 |
7.9 |
3.7 |
6.9 |
8.4 |
r 4.7 |
8.2 |
8.0 |
Qtr 3 2007 |
7.1 |
7.4 |
4.6 |
7.0 |
3.8 |
6.8 |
r 8.3 |
4.6 |
8.1 |
r 8.4 |
Qtr 4 2007 |
6.9 |
7.3 |
4.1 |
7.1 |
3.4 |
6.6 |
r 8.0 |
4.7 |
7.8 |
8.6 |
Qtr 1 2008 |
6.8 |
7.2 |
3.9 |
r 6.9 |
3.2 |
6.3 |
r 7.7 |
r 4.7 |
7.7 |
9.2 |
Qtr 2 2008 |
6.8 |
7.3 |
3.6 |
6.7 |
3.1 |
6.3 |
7.5 |
r 5.3 |
7.6 |
10.5 |
Qtr 3 2008 |
7.0 |
7.6 |
r 3.7 |
7.3 |
3.3 |
6.4 |
r 7.6 |
r 6.3 |
7.8 |
11.9 |
Qtr 4 2008 |
r 7.5 |
8.0 |
4.1 |
r 7.1 |
3.8 |
6.7 |
r 7.9 |
r 7.7 |
8.0 |
14.0 |
Qtr 1 2009 |
r 8.2 |
r 8.8 |
4.3 |
r 7.7 |
r 4.8 |
r 7.4 |
8.7 |
r 10.2 |
8.8 |
16.5 |
Qtr 2 2009 |
8.8 |
9.3 |
4.4 |
8.1 |
5.9 |
8.3 |
|
11.9 |
9.3 |
17.9 |
Jan 2008 |
6.8 |
7.2 |
4.1 |
7.1 |
3.2 |
6.4 |
|
r 4.6 |
7.7 |
9.0 |
Feb 2008 |
r 6.7 |
7.2 |
r 4.0 |
r 6.9 |
3.2 |
6.3 |
|
r 4.6 |
7.7 |
9.2 |
Mar 2008 |
6.7 |
7.2 |
3.8 |
r 6.7 |
3.1 |
r 6.3 |
|
r 4.9 |
7.6 |
r 9.4 |
Apr 2008 |
r 6.7 |
r 7.2 |
3.7 |
r 6.6 |
3.1 |
6.2 |
|
r 5.0 |
7.6 |
r 9.9 |
May 2008 |
6.8 |
7.3 |
3.6 |
6.6 |
3.1 |
6.3 |
|
r 5.3 |
7.6 |
10.5 |
Jun 2008 |
6.9 |
7.4 |
3.6 |
6.9 |
3.1 |
6.3 |
|
r 5.6 |
7.7 |
11.0 |
Jul 2008 |
7.0 |
7.5 |
3.7 |
r 7.3 |
r 3.2 |
6.4 |
|
r 6.0 |
7.8 |
11.4 |
Aug 2008 |
7.0 |
r 7.6 |
r 3.7 |
7.4 |
3.3 |
6.4 |
|
r 6.3 |
7.8 |
11.8 |
Sep 2008 |
7.1 |
r 7.7 |
r 3.8 |
r 7.3 |
3.4 |
6.5 |
|
r 6.6 |
7.8 |
r 12.5 |
Oct 2008 |
7.3 |
7.8 |
4.0 |
7.1 |
3.6 |
6.6 |
|
r 7.1 |
7.9 |
13.2 |
Nov 2008 |
r 7.5 |
8.0 |
4.1 |
r 7.0 |
3.8 |
r 6.7 |
|
r 7.7 |
7.9 |
14.0 |
Dec 2008 |
7.6 |
8.2 |
4.2 |
r 7.1 |
4.1 |
6.8 |
|
r 8.2 |
8.2 |
14.7 |
Jan 2009 |
r 8.0 |
r 8.5 |
4.2 |
r 7.5 |
4.4 |
r 7.1 |
|
r 9.3 |
8.5 |
15.6 |
Feb 2009 |
r 8.3 |
r 8.8 |
4.3 |
r 7.7 |
r 4.7 |
r 7.4 |
|
r 10.3 |
r 8.8 |
16.5 |
Mar 2009 |
r 8.5 |
r 9.0 |
r 4.4 |
r 8.0 |
r 5.2 |
r 7.7 |
|
r 11.0 |
9.1 |
r 17.2 |
Apr 2009 |
r 8.7 |
9.2 |
r 4.3 |
r 8.1 |
r 5.7 |
r 8.0 |
|
r 11.5 |
r 9.2 |
r 17.6 |
May 2009 |
8.8 |
9.3 |
4.4 |
8.1 |
5.9 |
8.3 |
|
12.0 |
9.3 |
17.9 |
Jun 2009 |
8.9 |
9.4 |
4.4 |
8.1 |
6.2 |
8.5 |
|
12.2 |
9.3 |
18.1 |
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r=revised
NOTE: Data exclude conscripts but include career military living in private households. BLS does not adjust these data to reflect U.S. concepts. These data are prepared by the Statistical Office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT) according to the International Labor Office (ILO) definitions and are called harmonized unemployment rates. For details on methods and concepts, see "European Union labor force survey, methods and concepts, 2001," at http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-BF-03-002/EN/KS-BF-03-002-EN.PDF. Data are reproduced with permission from EUROSTAT.
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TABLE 3. Employment indexes adjusted to U.S. concepts, 10 countries, seasonally adjusted, 2007-2009
|
United
States
| Canada
| Australia
| Japan
| France
| Germany
| Italy
| Nether-
lands
| Sweden
| United
Kingdom
|
Index |
2nd Quarter 2008 = 100 |
Qtr 1 2007 |
100.1 |
97.8 |
96.9 |
100.1 |
97.6 |
98.0 |
98.5 |
97.1 |
97.7 |
98.5 |
Qtr 2 2007 |
99.9 |
98.1 |
97.6 |
100.4 |
98.1 |
98.4 |
98.7 |
97.9 |
98.2 |
98.8 |
Qtr 3 2007 |
100.0 |
98.7 |
98.2 |
100.1 |
98.9 |
98.7 |
99.5 |
98.5 |
98.9 |
99.2 |
Qtr 4 2007 |
100.2 |
99.3 |
98.8 |
100.3 |
99.5 |
99.0 |
99.5 |
98.6 |
99.2 |
99.6 |
Qtr 1 2008 |
100.1 |
99.8 |
99.6 |
100.2 |
99.5 |
99.8 |
100.0 |
99.5 |
99.7 |
100.0 |
Qtr 2 2008 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
Qtr 3 2008 |
99.5 |
100.0 |
100.2 |
99.4 |
99.5 |
100.2 |
99.9 |
100.3 |
99.6 |
99.6 |
Qtr 4 2008 |
98.7 |
100.1 |
100.3 |
99.6 |
100.0 |
100.3 |
99.7 |
100.4 |
99.2 |
99.5 |
Qtr 1 2009 |
97.0 |
98.9 |
100.2 |
99.4 |
99.9 |
100.2 |
98.0 |
100.4 |
98.4 |
98.9 |
Qtr 2 2009 |
96.3 |
98.5 |
100.1 |
97.9 |
99.7 |
99.9 |
|
|
97.8 |
|
Index |
June 2008 = 100 |
Jan 2008 |
100.4 |
99.7 |
99.2 |
100.6 |
|
99.6 |
|
98.9 |
99.5 |
100.0 |
Feb 2008 |
100.2 |
99.9 |
99.5 |
100.2 |
|
99.7 |
|
99.3 |
100.3 |
100.0 |
Mar 2008 |
100.2 |
99.9 |
99.6 |
100.2 |
|
99.9 |
|
99.6 |
100.3 |
100.0 |
Apr 2008 |
100.4 |
100.0 |
99.9 |
100.3 |
|
99.9 |
|
99.7 |
100.6 |
100.2 |
May 2008 |
100.2 |
100.0 |
99.6 |
100.1 |
|
99.9 |
|
99.7 |
100.4 |
100.0 |
Jun 2008 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
100.0 |
|
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
Jul 2008 |
99.9 |
99.8 |
100.1 |
99.6 |
|
100.1 |
|
100.0 |
100.1 |
99.8 |
Aug 2008 |
99.7 |
99.9 |
100.1 |
99.6 |
|
100.1 |
|
100.1 |
99.9 |
99.7 |
Sep 2008 |
99.5 |
100.4 |
100.0 |
99.5 |
|
100.2 |
|
100.2 |
99.9 |
99.6 |
Oct 2008 |
99.3 |
100.4 |
100.3 |
99.6 |
|
100.3 |
|
100.3 |
99.9 |
99.7 |
Nov 2008 |
98.9 |
100.1 |
100.1 |
99.9 |
|
100.2 |
|
100.2 |
99.3 |
99.6 |
Dec 2008 |
98.4 |
99.9 |
100.1 |
99.7 |
|
100.2 |
|
100.2 |
99.3 |
99.6 |
Jan 2009 |
97.5 |
99.3 |
100.1 |
100.1 |
|
100.2 |
|
100.5 |
99.1 |
99.2 |
Feb 2009 |
97.3 |
98.8 |
100.2 |
99.8 |
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100.2 |
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100.2 |
98.6 |
99.0 |
Mar 2009 |
96.7 |
98.5 |
99.8 |
98.8 |
|
100.1 |
|
100.0 |
98.5 |
98.7 |
Apr 2009 |
96.8 |
98.6 |
100.0 |
98.7 |
|
100.0 |
|
99.9 |
98.2 |
98.3 |
May 2009 |
96.5 |
98.4 |
100.0 |
98.0 |
|
99.9 |
|
99.5 |
98.1 |
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Jun 2009 |
96.2 |
98.4 |
99.8 |
97.6 |
|
99.8 |
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98.2 |
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NOTE: Indexes are calculated using employment levels underlying the unemployment rates adjusted to U.S. concepts in Table 1 (see Table 1 notes). Data are on a civilian labor force basis and mainly from household surveys. Household surveys provide greater comparability of labor market trends across countries than establishment surveys, although both types of surveys are used to measure employment. In the United States, the establishment survey provides a highly reliable gauge of monthly change in nonfarm payroll employment while the household survey provides a broader picture of employment including agriculture and the self-employed. For details on the differences between the two U.S. surveys, see www.bls.gov/web/ces_cps_trends.pdf. Note that trends shown in this table are for the number of persons in employment and not the number of jobs.
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Last Modified Date: August 11, 2009
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