International Unemployment Rates and Employment Indexes, Seasonally Adjusted, 2008-2012
Last Updated: September 6, 2012 (updated monthly)
International Unemployment Rates and Employment Indexes, Seasonally Adjusted, 2008-2012
- Download report (PDF)
- Download Excel file with data tables (XLS)
On This Page:
- Highlights
- CHART 1. Unemployment rates adjusted to U.S. concepts, 10 countries, seasonally adjusted, February 2011–July 2012
- CHART 2. Unemployment rates unadjusted by BLS, 10 European Union countries or areas, seasonally adjusted, February 2011–July 2012
- TABLE 1. Unemployment rates adjusted to U.S. concepts, 10 countries, seasonally adjusted
- TABLE 2. Unemployment rates unadjusted by BLS, 10 European Union countries or areas, seasonally adjusted
- TABLE 3. Employment indexes adjusted to U.S. concepts, 10 countries, seasonally adjusted
- Technical notes
Highlights
- Of the nine foreign countries covered by the BLS unemployment comparisons program, only Australia had a decrease in its unemployment rate in July 2012. See Chart 1 and Table 1.
- The highest unemployment rates in July were in Italy (10.8 percent) and France (10.0 percent).
- Of the EU countries not covered in the BLS comparisons but tracked by BLS, the unemployment rate decreased in July 2012 only in Denmark. See Chart 2 and Table 2.
- Employment increased in July 2012 in Australia and Italy. See Table 3.
CHART 1. Unemployment rates adjusted to U.S. concepts, 10 countries, seasonally adjusted, February 2011–July 2012
NOTE: Latest available monthly data are shown for each country. See Table 1.
CHART 2. Unemployment rates unadjusted by BLS, 10 European Union countries or areas, seasonally adjusted, February 2011–July 2012
NOTE: Latest available monthly data are shown for each country. See Table 2.
TABLE 1. Unemployment rates adjusted to U.S. concepts, 10 countries, seasonally adjusted
(in percent)
|
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
Q3 2011 |
Q4 2011 |
Q1 2012 |
Q2 2012 |
Jul. 2011 |
May 2012 |
Jun. 2012 |
Jul. 2012 |
Change from Jun. 2012-Jul. 2012 |
United States
| 5.8 |
9.3 |
9.6 |
8.9 |
9.1 |
8.7 |
8.2 |
8.2 |
9.1 |
8.2 |
8.2 |
8.3 |
0.1
|
Australia
| 4.3 |
5.6 |
5.2 |
5.1 |
5.2 |
5.2 |
5.2 |
5.1 |
5.1 |
5.1 |
r 5.3 |
5.2 |
-0.1
|
Canada
| 5.3 |
7.3 |
7.1 |
6.5 |
6.3 |
6.5 |
6.4 |
6.4 |
6.3 |
6.5 |
6.3 |
6.3 |
0.0
|
France
| 7.5 |
9.2 |
9.5 |
9.4 |
9.3 |
9.4 |
9.7 |
9.8 |
9.3 |
r 9.8 |
r 9.9 |
10.0 |
0.1
|
Germany |
7.6 |
7.8 |
7.1 |
6.0 |
5.9 |
5.8 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.9 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
0.0
|
Italy
| 6.8 |
7.9 |
8.5 |
8.5 |
8.6 |
9.3 |
10.1 |
10.7 |
r 8.3 |
r 10.6 |
r 10.8 |
10.8 |
0.0
|
Japan
| 3.7 |
4.8 |
4.8 |
4.2 |
4.0 |
4.1 |
4.2 |
4.0 |
4.3 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
3.9 |
0.0
|
Netherlands
| 3.1 |
3.8 |
4.6 |
4.5 |
4.4 |
4.9 |
5.0 |
5.2 |
4.4 |
5.2 |
5.2 |
5.3 |
0.1
|
Sweden
| 6.1 |
8.3 |
8.3 |
7.5 |
7.3 |
7.4 |
7.4 |
7.4 |
7.4 |
7.6 |
7.3 |
7.4 |
0.1
|
United Kingdom
| 5.7 |
7.7 |
7.9 |
8.1 |
8.3 |
8.4 |
r 8.2 |
|
r 8.2 |
8.0 |
|
|
|
r = revised
NOTE: See Technical notes for information on sources and methods.
Longer time series are provided in the Excel version at www.bls.gov/ilc/intl_unemployment_rates_monthly.xls.
|
TABLE 2. Unemployment rates unadjusted by BLS, 10 European Union countries or areas, seasonally adjusted
(in percent)
|
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
Q3 2011 |
Q4 2011 |
Q1 2012 |
Q2 2012 |
Jul. 2011 |
May 2012 |
Jun. 2012 |
Jul. 2012 |
Change from Jun. 2012-Jul. 2012 |
EU-27 |
7.1 |
9.0 |
9.7 |
9.7 |
9.7 |
10.0 |
10.2 |
10.4 |
9.6 |
10.4 |
10.4 |
10.4 |
0.0
|
Euro area |
7.6 |
9.6 |
10.1 |
10.1 |
10.2 |
10.6 |
10.9 |
11.2 |
10.1 |
11.2 |
r 11.3 |
11.3 |
0.0
|
Austria
| 3.8 |
4.8 |
4.4 |
4.2 |
3.8 |
4.2 |
4.1 |
|
r 3.8 |
r 4.3 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
0.0
|
Belgium
| 7.0 |
7.9 |
8.3 |
7.2 |
7.3 |
7.2 |
7.1 |
7.1 |
7.3 |
7.1 |
7.2 |
7.2 |
0.0
|
Denmark
| 3.4 |
6.0 |
7.5 |
7.6 |
7.5 |
7.8 |
7.5 |
8.0 |
7.4 |
r 8.0 |
8.0 |
7.9 |
-0.1
|
Finland
| 6.4 |
8.2 |
8.4 |
7.8 |
7.7 |
7.6 |
7.5 |
7.6 |
7.8 |
7.6 |
r 7.6 |
7.6 |
0.0
|
Greece
| 7.7 |
9.5 |
12.6 |
17.7 |
18.4 |
20.5 |
r 21.8 |
|
17.8 |
23.1 |
|
|
|
Ireland
| 6.3 |
11.9 |
13.7 |
14.4 |
14.7 |
r 14.6 |
r 14.7 |
14.8 |
r 14.7 |
14.7 |
14.8 |
14.9 |
0.1
|
Portugal
| 8.5 |
10.6 |
12.0 |
12.9 |
r 12.8 |
14.1 |
14.8 |
15.5 |
12.5 |
r 15.5 |
r 15.7 |
15.7 |
0.0
|
Spain
| 11.3 |
18.0 |
20.1 |
21.7 |
22.1 |
23.0 |
23.8 |
24.7 |
21.7 |
r 24.8 |
r 24.9 |
25.1 |
0.2
|
r = revised
NOTE: These data are prepared by the Statistical Office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT). See Technical notes for information on sources and methods.
Longer time series are provided in the Excel version at www.bls.gov/ilc/intl_unemployment_rates_monthly.xls.
|
TABLE 3. Employment indexes adjusted to U.S. concepts, 10 countries, seasonally adjusted
|
Q3 2011 |
Q4 2011 |
Q1 2012 |
Q2 2012 |
Jul. 2011 |
May 2012 |
Jun. 2012 |
Jul. 2012 |
Change from Jun. 2012-Jul. 2012 |
| Q1 2007 = 100 |
January 2007 = 100 |
United States
| 95.6 |
96.2 |
97.1 |
97.3 |
95.5 |
97.4 |
97.5 |
97.4 |
-0.1
|
Australia
| 109.5 |
109.5 |
109.7 |
110.1 |
109.8 |
110.6 |
110.3 |
110.4 |
0.1
|
Canada
| 104.3 |
104.2 |
104.5 |
105.2 |
104.5 |
105.4 |
105.4 |
105.4 |
0.0
|
France
| 102.4 |
103.0 |
102.7 |
102.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
Germany
| 105.4 |
105.7 |
106.1 |
106.4 |
105.4 |
106.5 |
106.6 |
106.6 |
0.0
|
Italy
| 99.6 |
99.4 |
99.6 |
99.7 |
99.8 |
99.8 |
99.7 |
99.8 |
0.1
|
Japan
| 97.9 |
97.8 |
98.2 |
97.9 |
98.6 |
98.2 |
98.5 |
98.5 |
0.0
|
Netherlands
| 102.3 |
102.9 |
103.0 |
103.0 |
102.4 |
103.4 |
103.4 |
103.3 |
-0.1
|
Sweden
| 103.1 |
103.3 |
103.2 |
103.6 |
102.5 |
103.2 |
103.8 |
103.5 |
-0.3
|
United Kingdom
| 100.1 |
100.3 |
100.7 |
|
100.1 |
101.5 |
|
|
|
NOTE: See Technical notes for information on sources and methods.
Longer time series are provided in the Excel version at www.bls.gov/ilc/intl_unemployment_rates_monthly.xls.
|
Technical notes
Data adjusted to U.S. concepts
Data in tables 1 and 3 are on a civilian labor force basis and are from household surveys unless otherwise noted. 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.
Employment indexes are calculated using employment levels underlying the unemployment rates and therefore are also 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 table 3 are for the number of persons in employment and not the number of jobs.
For further qualifications on data adjusted to U.S. concepts and historical annual figures, see "International Comparisons of Annual Labor Force Statistics, Adjusted to U.S. Concepts, 16 countries, 1970-2011," June 7, 2012, at www.bls.gov/ilc/flscomparelf.htm.
Unemployment rates unadjusted by BLS
Data in table 2 are not adjusted by BLS to reflect U.S. concepts. They exclude conscripts but include career military living in private households. 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.
The European Union-27 (EU-27) refers to EU member countries as of January 1, 2007. The EU-27 rate is the population-weighted average for the following 27 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
The Euro area refers to EU member countries that adopted the euro as a common currency. The composition of the euro area changes over time. As the euro area expands, data for new member countries are linked into this moving coverage series. Thus, the euro area rate changes its geographical coverage according to the composition of the euro area during the period to which the data refer. For January 2011 onward, the euro area rate is the population-weighted average for the following 17 countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
Last Modified Date: August 6, 2012