OECD unemployment rate remains stable at 7.9% in May 2012
The OECD area unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.9% in May 2012 compared with the previous month. While the rate has hovered around this level since January 2011, it remains 2.1 percentage points higher than the level recorded four years earlier.
In the euro area the unemployment rate rose further in May to an all-time peak of 11.1%. It was 0.1 percentage point higher than in April and 3.8 percentage points higher than its record low of 7.3% in March 2008. In June 2012, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.2% in the United States and down 0.1 percentage point to 7.2% in Canada.
Differences in unemployment rates across OECD countries remain large. In May 2012 the unemployment rate was highest in Spain (at 24.6%, up 0.3 percentage point), followed by Portugal (unchanged at 15.2%) and Ireland (unchanged at 14.6%), while it was lowest in Korea (down 0.2 percentage point to 3.2%). Minor falls in unemployment rates were also recorded in Iceland (6.0%) and Japan (4.4%), both down by 0.2 percentage point, and in Italy (10.1%) and the Netherlands (5.1%), both down by 0.1 percentage point.
The OECD area unemployment rate for women (unchanged at 8.0%), remained slightly above that for men (up 0.1 percentage point from the previous month to 7.9%). The unemployment rate for youth (people aged 15 to 24) was down slightly by 0.1 percentage point to 16.1%. The rate for adults (people aged 25 and over) rose slightly, by 0.1 percentage point, to 6.8%, leaving the gap between the two groups approaching 10 percentage points.
In May 2012 there were 47.7 million people unemployed in the OECD area, 0.3 million more than in April 2012 and 14.1 million more than in May 2008. Of these, 11.9 million were youths unemployed across the OECD area.
OECD Harmonised Unemployment Rates, s.a.
Methodological Notes: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/21/0/44743407.pdf All rates and levels quoted are seasonally adjusted (s.a.).
New Labour Market Statistics: http://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?queryid=36324
Country Note: The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law.
Contacts: For further information readers are invited to contact the OECD's Media Relations Division on
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Euro area United States
Japan OECD Total
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
All persons Women Men Youth 25+
May 2008 May 2012
Table 1: OECD Unemployment Rates, s.a.
Percentage of active population
2009 2010 2011 2011 2012 2011 2012
Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
OECD - Total 8.1 8.3 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 7.9 7.9 7.9 8.0 7.9 7.9 7.9 Major Seven 8.0 8.2 7.7 7.7 7.7 7.6 7.5 7.6 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.4 7.5 European Union 9.0 9.7 9.7 9.5 9.7 10.0 10.1 10.0 10.1 10.1 10.2 10.2 10.3 Euro area 9.6 10.2 10.2 10.0 10.2 10.6 10.9 10.7 10.8 10.8 11.0 11.0 11.1
Australia 5.6 5.2 5.1 5.0 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.1 5.2 5.2 5.0 5.1
Austria 4.8 4.4 4.1 4.1 3.9 4.2 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.0 3.9 4.1
Belgium 7.9 8.3 7.2 7.1 7.3 7.2 7.2 7.1 7.2 7.1 7.2 7.2 7.2
Canada (1) 8.3 8.0 7.5 7.5 7.3 7.5 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.4 7.2 7.3 7.3
Chile 10.8 8.2 7.1 6.9 7.0 7.1 6.7 7.1 7.0 6.7 6.6 6.6
Czech Republic 6.7 7.3 6.7 6.8 6.6 6.6 6.8 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.8 6.7 6.7
Denmark 6.0 7.5 7.6 7.5 7.5 7.8 7.5 7.7 7.4 7.6 7.6 7.7 7.8
Estonia 13.8 16.9 12.5 13.1 11.4 11.6 10.9 11.6 10.9 10.9 10.9
Finland 8.2 8.4 7.8 7.8 7.7 7.6 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.6
France 9.5 9.8 9.7 9.6 9.7 9.8 10.0 9.9 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.1
Germany 7.8 7.1 5.9 6.0 5.9 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6
Greece 9.5 12.6 17.7 16.8 18.4 20.5 21.5 21.1 21.3 21.4 21.9 Hungary 10.0 11.2 10.9 10.9 10.9 10.9 11.0 10.9 11.3 11.1 10.7 10.7 10.9
Iceland 7.3 7.6 7.1 7.6 7.2 7.0 6.5 6.8 6.7 6.5 6.4 6.2 6.0
Ireland 11.9 13.7 14.4 14.3 14.7 14.7 14.8 14.7 14.8 14.8 14.8 14.6 14.6
Israel 7.5 6.6 5.6 5.5 5.6 5.4 6.9 6.8 6.7 7.1 6.8 7.1
Italy 7.8 8.4 8.4 8.2 8.5 9.1 9.8 9.3 9.5 9.8 10.1 10.2 10.1
Japan 5.1 5.1 4.6 4.6 4.4 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.6 4.5 4.5 4.6 4.4
Korea 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.4 3.2 3.1 3.4 3.1 3.2 3.7 3.4 3.4 3.2
Luxembourg 5.1 4.6 4.9 4.8 5.1 5.0 5.2 5.1 5.2 5.2 5.3 5.3 5.4
Mexico 5.5 5.4 5.2 5.4 5.3 5.0 5.1 5.0 4.8 5.4 5.1 4.9 5.1
Netherlands 3.7 4.5 4.5 4.2 4.4 4.9 5.0 4.9 5.0 4.9 5.0 5.2 5.1
New Zealand 6.1 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.6 6.4 6.7
Norway 3.2 3.6 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.0
Poland 8.2 9.7 9.7 9.6 9.7 10.0 9.9 10.0 9.9 9.9 9.9 9.9 9.9
Portugal 9.6 11.0 12.9 12.6 12.7 14.1 14.9 14.6 14.7 14.8 15.1 15.2 15.2 Slovak Republic 12.1 14.5 13.6 13.4 13.5 14.0 13.7 14.0 13.8 13.7 13.6 13.6 13.6
Slovenia 5.9 7.3 8.2 8.0 8.1 8.6 8.2 8.6 8.3 8.2 8.1 8.2 8.2
Spain 18.0 20.1 21.6 20.9 22.0 23.0 23.8 23.2 23.5 23.8 24.1 24.3 24.6
Sweden 8.3 8.4 7.5 7.5 7.4 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.6 7.5 7.3 7.4 7.8
Switzerland 4.5 4.1 3.6 4.2 4.0 4.3
Turkey 12.6 10.7 8.8 9.1 8.6 8.3 8.2 8.3 8.1 8.2 8.2
United Kingdom 7.6 7.8 8.0 7.9 8.2 8.3 8.1 8.3 8.2 8.1 8.1 United States (2) 9.3 9.6 9.0 9.0 9.1 8.7 8.3 8.5 8.3 8.3 8.2 8.1 8.2
Notes:
(1) Canada: Unemployment rate for June 2012 was 7.2%
Table 2: Unemployment Rates by Gender, s.a.
Percentage of corresponding active population
Women Men
2011 2011 2012 2012 2011 2011 2012 2012
Q4 Q1 Mar Apr May Q4 Q1 Mar Apr May
OECD - Total 8.0 8.0 8.1 8.0 8.0 8.0 7.9 7.9 7.8 7.8 7.8 7.9 Major Seven 7.5 7.4 7.4 7.4 7.3 7.3 7.9 7.8 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.6 European Union 9.8 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.3 10.4 9.6 9.9 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Euro area 10.5 10.8 11.1 11.2 11.2 11.3 9.9 10.4 10.7 10.8 10.9 10.9
Australia 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.4 5.2 5.5 4.9 5.1 5.0 5.0 4.8 4.8
Austria 4.3 4.6 4.5 4.5 4.0 3.7 4.0 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.9 4.3
Belgium 7.2 7.3 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.3 7.1 7.1 7.1 7.2 7.1 7.1
Canada 7.0 7.0 6.9 6.7 6.8 6.9 7.8 7.9 7.8 7.6 7.7 7.7
Chile 8.7 8.8 8.5 8.2 8.2 6.1 6.0 5.5 5.5 5.5
Czech Republic 7.9 7.7 8.0 8.0 7.9 8.0 5.8 5.7 5.9 5.9 5.7 5.6
Denmark 7.5 7.8 7.6 7.7 7.7 7.8 7.7 7.7 7.5 7.6 7.6 7.8
Estonia 11.8 10.7 9.7 9.7 13.1 12.5 12.0 12.0
Finland 7.1 6.8 6.8 6.7 6.7 6.7 8.4 8.3 8.2 8.3 8.3 8.4
France 10.3 10.1 10.1 10.2 10.1 10.2 9.2 9.5 9.9 9.9 9.9 10.0
Germany 5.7 5.4 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.2 6.2 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.9
Greece 21.4 24.3 25.5 25.8 15.0 17.7 18.5 18.9 Hungary 10.9 11.0 11.0 10.7 10.9 11.2 11.0 10.8 10.9 10.6 10.5 10.7
Iceland 6.2 6.9 6.2 5.9 5.7 5.6 7.9 7.0 6.9 6.8 6.6 6.4
Ireland 10.6 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.2 11.2 17.5 17.6 17.7 17.6 17.4 17.4
Israel 5.6 5.7 7.4 7.6 7.2 7.5 5.6 5.2 6.4 6.7 6.4 6.7
Italy 9.6 10.3 11.1 11.3 11.3 11.2 7.5 8.3 8.9 9.2 9.4 9.3
Japan 4.2 4.0 4.2 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.9 4.8 4.8 4.9 4.8 4.5
Korea 3.1 2.7 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.6 3.3 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.4
Luxembourg 6.2 5.9 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 3.9 4.3 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5
Mexico 5.3 5.2 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.0 5.1 5.1 4.9 5.0
Netherlands 4.4 4.9 5.0 5.0 5.1 5.1 4.5 4.8 5.0 5.0 5.2 5.2
New Zealand 6.7 6.3 7.1 6.4 6.4 6.3
Norway 3.1 3.0 2.6 2.5 2.4 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.6
Poland 10.5 10.9 10.7 10.7 10.6 10.6 9.0 9.2 9.3 9.3 9.3 9.4 Portugal 13.2 14.1 15.0 15.3 15.4 15.4 12.7 14.0 14.7 14.9 15.0 15.0 Slovak Republic 13.7 14.2 14.2 14.3 14.2 14.2 13.6 13.9 13.3 13.1 13.2 13.1
Slovenia 8.2 9.0 8.4 8.3 8.5 8.7 8.2 8.3 7.9 7.8 7.9 7.8
Spain 22.2 23.5 24.3 24.6 24.8 25.0 21.2 22.6 23.4 23.7 23.9 24.2
Sweden 7.5 7.3 7.2 7.0 7.3 7.5 7.5 7.6 7.8 7.7 7.5 8.0
Switzerland 4.5 4.5 4.5 3.7 3.6 4.2
Turkey 10.1 9.5 9.2 9.2 8.3 7.8 7.7 7.7
United Kingdom 7.3 7.6 7.6 7.6 8.7 8.9 8.6 8.5
United States 8.5 8.3 8.2 8.1 8.0 7.9 9.4 9.0 8.3 8.3 8.2 8.4
Table 3: Unemployment Rates by Age, s.a.
Percentage of corresponding active population
Youth (15-24) Prime and Older Workers (25+)
2011 2011 2012 2012 2011 2011 2012 2012
Q4 Q1 Mar Apr May Q4 Q1 Mar Apr May
OECD - Total 16.3 16.2 16.3 16.2 16.2 16.1 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.7 6.8 Major Seven 16.3 16.2 16.2 16.2 16.2 16.0 6.5 6.5 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3 European Union 21.4 22.1 22.5 22.6 22.5 22.7 8.3 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 8.9 Euro area 20.8 21.6 22.2 22.4 22.4 22.6 9.0 9.4 9.7 9.8 9.8 9.9
Australia 11.3 11.6 11.6 11.7 10.7 11.8 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.7
Austria 8.3 8.6 8.7 8.9 8.9 8.3 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.4
Belgium 18.7 18.0 19.1 19.5 19.8 20.1 6.0 6.1 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 Canada 14.2 14.1 14.4 13.9 13.9 14.3 6.2 6.2 6.2 6.0 6.1 6.1 Chile 17.5 18.3 17.3 16.9 16.3 5.5 5.4 5.1 5.0 5.1 Czech Republic 18.1 18.5 19.3 19.1 19.7 19.7 5.9 5.7 5.8 5.8 5.6 5.6 Denmark 14.2 14.4 15.1 15.7 15.3 15.2 6.3 6.6 6.2 6.2 6.3 6.5
Estonia 22.3 24.7 22.3 22.3 11.4 10.2 9.5 9.5
Finland 19.8 19.8 19.3 19.0 18.8 18.6 6.1 5.9 5.9 5.9 6.0 6.0 France 23.0 23.1 23.1 22.9 22.6 22.7 8.2 8.4 8.6 8.6 8.6 8.7
Germany 8.6 8.2 8.0 8.0 7.9 7.9 5.6 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3
Greece 44.4 49.5 52.1 52.1 15.9 18.5 19.4 19.8 Hungary 26.0 26.6 27.0 26.1 25.6 26.0 9.8 9.8 9.9 9.6 9.7 9.9 Iceland 14.7 15.7 15.1 14.8 14.4 14.1 5.5 5.2 4.7 4.6 4.4 4.3 Ireland 29.4 30.3 30.7 30.1 28.9 28.5 12.8 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.2 13.3 Israel 11.6 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.6 11.2 4.9 4.7 5.8 5.8 5.6 5.9
Italy 28.9 31.7 34.3 36.0 35.3 36.2 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.0
Japan 8.2 8.5 9.1 8.6 9.2 4.3 4.1 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.1
Korea 9.6 9.5 9.1 9.2 9.7 10.3 3.0 2.7 3.1 3.1 3.0 2.8
Luxembourg 16.4 18.3 19.3 19.7 19.4 19.8 4.1 4.1 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.4
Mexico 10.0 9.6 10.1 9.3 9.7 9.6 4.0 3.9 3.8 4.0 3.8 3.9
Netherlands 7.6 8.5 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.2 3.8 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.4 4.4
New Zealand 17.3 16.9 17.0 4.4 4.4 4.7
Norway 8.7 8.6 7.9 7.8 8.1 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.2
Poland 25.8 26.8 26.3 26.1 25.3 24.9 8.0 8.3 8.3 8.3 8.4 8.4 Portugal 30.1 34.0 35.3 35.8 36.5 36.4 11.4 12.3 13.1 13.3 13.3 13.3 Slovak Republic 33.6 33.9 34.4 34.5 39.7 38.8 11.8 12.2 11.8 11.7 11.0 11.1
Slovenia 15.8 16.4 16.5 16.5 7.5 7.8 7.4 7.3 7.4 7.5
Spain 46.5 49.0 50.8 51.2 51.6 52.1 19.4 20.7 21.5 21.8 22.0 22.3 Sweden 22.7 22.8 23.0 22.9 22.2 24.6 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.0 5.2 5.3
Switzerland 5.9 8.0 8.3 3.5 3.4 3.7
Turkey 16.8 15.4 15.1 15.3 7.2 6.9 6.8 6.8
United Kingdom 21.0 22.0 21.8 21.7 5.8 6.0 5.8 5.8
United States 17.3 16.7 16.3 16.4 16.4 16.1 7.6 7.4 7.0 6.9 6.8 7.0
Table 4: Unemployment Levels, s.a.
Thousands of persons
2010 2011 2011 2012 2012
Q3 Q4 Q1 Feb Mar Apr May
OECD - Total 49,157 47,341 47,478 47,499 47,491 47,746 47,514 47,356 47,689 Major Seven 29,978 28,117 28,179 27,889 27,472 27,500 27,413 27,289 27,418 European Union 23,140 23,221 23,379 24,051 24,444 24,428 24,588 24,717 24,868 Euro area 15,941 16,027 16,145 16,724 17,184 17,174 17,357 17,473 17,561
Australia 620 615 632 628 625 631 628 600 623
Austria 188 179 165 183 177 178 175 171 176
Belgium 406 347 352 349 347 346 347 352 355
Canada 1,484 1,393 1,356 1,392 1,388 1,386 1,356 1,371 1,379
Chile 632 574 573 575 545 545 538 536
Czech Republic 380 351 342 344 355 358 354 348 347
Denmark 218 221 220 227 220 221 223 223 228
Estonia 116 87 80 80 76 76 76
Finland 224 209 207 203 202 202 203 204 204
France 2,842 2,821 2,823 2,870 2,919 2,920 2,924 2,921 2,942 Germany 2,946 2,501 2,468 2,388 2,351 2,350 2,347 2,343 2,341
Greece 629 877 912 1,013 1,059 1,053 1,075
Hungary 475 468 468 470 475 479 458 462 472
Iceland 14 13 13 12 12 12 11 11 11
Ireland 292 304 309 310 310 311 309 307 307
Israel 209 180 179 175 244 237 254 243 254
Italy 2,105 2,103 2,147 2,303 2,499 2,494 2,581 2,602 2,584 Japan 3,336 3,018 2,880 2,923 3,000 2,980 2,970 2,990 2,890
Korea 920 855 809 777 879 940 878 867 828
Luxembourg 11 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 13
Mexico 2,498 2,540 2,585 2,515 2,538 2,691 2,544 2,472 2,558
Netherlands 390 389 386 430 438 433 441 457 455
New Zealand 152 155 157 151 160
Norway 93 87 85 90 85 85 82 81
Poland 1,699 1,722 1,732 1,779 1,780 1,783 1,775 1,778 1,783
Portugal 603 706 696 764 801 798 812 822 822
Slovak Republic 387 366 363 377 372 372 370 371 370
Slovenia 75 83 82 88 83 83 82 83 84
Spain 4,632 4,999 5,098 5,301 5,483 5,490 5,549 5,621 5,701
Sweden 415 377 368 376 376 377 372 371 392
Switzerland 204 184 191 186 197
Turkey 2,697 2,328 2,283 2,196 2,169 2,175 2,176
United Kingdom 2,440 2,534 2,597 2,620 2,570 2,564 2,562 United States 14,825 13,747 13,908 13,393 12,746 12,806 12,673 12,500 12,720
