World - Labor force

Labor force, female (% of total labor force)

Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in World was 39.23 as of 2021. Its highest value over the past 31 years was 39.70 in 2005, while its lowest value was 39.14 in 2012.

Definition: Female labor force as a percentage of the total show the extent to which women are active in the labor force. Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.

Source: Derived using data from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database and World Bank population estimates. Labor data retrieved in September 2019.

See also:

Year Value
1990 39.23
1991 39.27
1992 39.32
1993 39.32
1994 39.42
1995 39.45
1996 39.48
1997 39.52
1998 39.56
1999 39.63
2000 39.66
2001 39.65
2002 39.64
2003 39.67
2004 39.66
2005 39.70
2006 39.61
2007 39.57
2008 39.46
2009 39.41
2010 39.29
2011 39.21
2012 39.14
2013 39.15
2014 39.18
2015 39.23
2016 39.28
2017 39.33
2018 39.35
2019 39.46
2020 39.17
2021 39.23

Labor force, total

The value for Labor force, total in World was 3,453,275,000 as of 2021. As the graph below shows, over the past 31 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 3,456,140,000 in 2019 and a minimum value of 2,319,716,000 in 1990.

Definition: Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.

Source: Derived using data from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database and World Bank population estimates. Labor data retrieved in September 2019.

See also:

Year Value
1990 2,319,716,000
1991 2,360,684,000
1992 2,403,253,000
1993 2,441,865,000
1994 2,486,713,000
1995 2,527,209,000
1996 2,570,658,000
1997 2,614,060,000
1998 2,655,255,000
1999 2,703,290,000
2000 2,749,084,000
2001 2,788,799,000
2002 2,831,658,000
2003 2,879,025,000
2004 2,928,166,000
2005 2,975,736,000
2006 3,012,318,000
2007 3,050,005,000
2008 3,081,528,000
2009 3,110,164,000
2010 3,137,221,000
2011 3,170,891,000
2012 3,202,956,000
2013 3,235,252,000
2014 3,270,351,000
2015 3,308,622,000
2016 3,344,259,000
2017 3,379,574,000
2018 3,414,233,000
2019 3,456,140,000
2020 3,389,313,000
2021 3,453,275,000

Classification

Topic: Labor & Social Protection Indicators

Sub-Topic: Labor force structure