Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) - Country Ranking - Asia

Definition: Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in December 2019.

See also: Thematic map, Time series comparison

Find indicator:
Rank Country Value Year
1 Jordan 19.22 2020
2 Georgia 18.50 2020
3 Armenia 18.18 2020
4 Yemen 13.47 2014
5 Turkey 13.11 2020
6 Iraq 13.02 2017
7 Afghanistan 11.71 2020
8 Nepal 11.36 2017
9 Lebanon 11.35 2019
10 Iran 9.69 2020
11 Lao PDR 9.41 2017
12 Syrian Arab Republic 8.61 2010
13 Saudi Arabia 7.66 2020
14 Brunei 7.41 2020
15 Azerbaijan 7.16 2020
16 Mongolia 7.01 2020
17 Tajikistan 6.90 2016
18 Hong Kong SAR, China 5.83 2020
19 Kyrgyz Republic 5.75 2020
20 Russia 5.59 2020
21 Uzbekistan 5.29 2020
22 Sri Lanka 5.20 2020
23 China 5.15 2019
24 Kazakhstan 4.89 2020
25 Pakistan 4.83 2019
26 India 4.68 2020
27 Timor-Leste 4.66 2016
28 Malaysia 4.54 2020
29 Bangladesh 4.37 2017
30 Israel 4.33 2020
31 United Arab Emirates 4.29 2020
32 Indonesia 4.25 2020
33 Singapore 4.10 2020
34 Turkmenistan 4.00 2010
35 Korea 3.93 2020
36 Oman 2.94 2020
37 Japan 2.80 2021
38 Macao SAR, China 2.57 2020
39 Philippines 2.52 2020
40 Bhutan 2.45 2015
41 Vietnam 2.39 2020
42 Kuwait 2.16 2016
43 Cambodia 1.22 2019
44 Bahrain 1.20 2012
45 Thailand 1.10 2020
46 Myanmar 0.50 2019
47 Qatar 0.14 2020

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Development Relevance: Paradoxically, low unemployment rates can disguise substantial poverty in a country, while high unemployment rates can occur in countries with a high level of economic development and low rates of poverty. In countries without unemployment or welfare benefits people eke out a living in vulnerable employment. In countries with well-developed safety nets workers can afford to wait for suitable or desirable jobs. But high and sustained unemployment indicates serious inefficiencies in resource allocation. Youth unemployment is an important policy issue for many economies. Young men and women today face increasing uncertainty in their hopes of undergoing a satisfactory transition in the labour market, and this uncertainty and disillusionment can, in turn, have damaging effects on individuals, communities, economies and society at large. Unemployed or underemployed youth are less able to contribute effectively to national development and have fewer opportunities to exercise their rights as citizens. They have less to spend as consumers, less to invest as savers and often have no "voice" to bring about change in their lives and communities. Widespread youth unemployment and underemployment also prevents companies and countries from innovating and developing competitive advantages based on human capital investment, thus undermining future prospects. Unemployment is a key measure to monitor whether a country is on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. [SDG Indicator 8.5.2]

Limitations and Exceptions: The criteria for people considered to be seeking work, and the treatment of people temporarily laid off or seeking work for the first time, vary across countries. In many cases it is especially difficult to measure employment and unemployment in agriculture. The timing of a survey can maximize the effects of seasonal unemployment in agriculture. And informal sector employment is difficult to quantify where informal activities are not tracked. There may be also persons not currently in the labour market who want to work but do not actively "seek" work because they view job opportunities as limited, or because they have restricted labour mobility, or face discrimination, or structural, social or cultural barriers. The exclusion of people who want to work but are not seeking work (often called the "hidden unemployed" or "discouraged workers") is a criterion that will affect the unemployment count of both women and men. However, women tend to be excluded from the count for various reasons. Women suffer more from discrimination and from structural, social, and cultural barriers that impede them from seeking work. Also, women are often responsible for the care of children and the elderly and for household affairs. They may not be available for work during the short reference period, as they need to make arrangements before starting work. Further, women are considered to be employed when they are working part-time or in temporary jobs, despite the instability of these jobs or their active search for more secure employment.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The standard definition of unemployed persons is those individuals without work, seeking work in a recent past period, and currently available for work, including people who have lost their jobs or who have voluntarily left work. Persons who did not look for work but have an arrangements for a future job are also counted as unemployed. Some unemployment is unavoidable. At any time some workers are temporarily unemployed between jobs as employers look for the right workers and workers search for better jobs. It is the labour force or the economically active portion of the population that serves as the base for this indicator, not the total population.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: The series for ILO estimates is also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.