The latest plotted observation compared with the one immediately before it.
Unemployment rate
The share of the labor force without work, available for work, and actively seeking work, using a modeled ILO estimate.
Japan · 2025
One period comparison, not annualized
Source identifies this concept as estimated
Explain this chart
Economic demand, Industry mix, Labor force participation
This modeled estimate improves comparability but can differ from a country’s headline national measure.
View accessible data table
| Period | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.5% | observed |
| 2024 | 2.5% | observed |
| 2023 | 2.6% | observed |
| 2022 | 2.6% | observed |
| 2021 | 2.8% | observed |
| 2020 | 2.8% | observed |
| 2019 | 2.4% | observed |
| 2018 | 2.5% | observed |
| 2017 | 2.8% | observed |
| 2016 | 3.1% | observed |
Why it matters
It signals how readily people can find work, but it excludes people who are not counted in the labor force.
- Workers
- Families
- Employers
- Governments
- 01Economic demand
- 02Industry mix
- 03Labor force participation
- 04Policy
These are common mechanisms, not claims about what caused the latest movement.
Limits of this data
This modeled estimate improves comparability but can differ from a country’s headline national measure.
Revision status: The API does not expose a revision flag for these observations. Treat recent values as revisable.
World Bank: World Development Indicators
Series SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Snapshot retrieved Aug 5, 2026. Reporting frequency: annual. Seasonal adjustment: modeled ilo estimate.