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Unemployment rate Metadata

Last Updated: Apr 10, 2026

Proportion of people of working age who are unemployed

Dataset Coverage

Covered from Jan 2022 to Jan 2025
31 Countries covered

Information

Full name

Proportion of people of working age who are unemployed

Short name

Unemployment rate

Code

UnemploymentRate

Definition

The unemployment rate is the share of persons who are unemployed as a percent of the labor force. Unemployed persons are defined as all those in the labor force who were not in employment, carried out activities to seek employment during the past 7 days and were currently available to take up employment (SDG Indicator 8.5.2). Persons in employment are defined as all those in the labor force who, during the past 7 days, were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit (SDG Indicator 8.5.2). The labor force, also known as workforce, refers to the total number of people who are either in employment or in unemployment, as defined above (SDG Indicator 8.5.2). It is intricately linked to the working age population defined by each country's legal framework, representing the segment of the population within the designated working age range. The 7 days recall period is in alignment with ILO standard methodology as well as with UNHCR Socio-economic assessment standard.

Rationale

The unemployment rate is a standard indicator to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of an economy. For forcibly displaced and stateless people, access to employment is central for self-reliance, socio-economic inclusion and dignity and often restricted through laws, policies or practical barriers. The unemployment rate is a useful measure of the underutilization of the labor supply. It reflects the inability of an economy to generate employment for those persons who want to work but are not doing so, even though they are available for employment and actively seeking work. It is thus seen as an indicator of the efficiency and effectiveness of an economy to absorb its labor force and of the performance of the labor market. Short-term time series of the unemployment rate can be used to signal changes in the business cycle; upward movements in the indicator often coincide with recessionary periods or in some cases with the beginning of an expansionary period as persons previously not in the labor market begin to test conditions through an active job search (SDG Indicator 8.5.2).

Method of computation

The unemployment rate conveys the percentage of persons in the labor force who are unemployed. To calculate the indicator value, the standard survey methodology considers for the numerator only individuals in the labor force who were not in employment and seeking a job within 7 days prior to the reference date and who are available to start work within the next 14 days. Individuals who worked for pay or profit, even if only for one hour, in past 7 days, or who were temporarily absent from a job to which they will return are considered employed.

Comparability

International definition and standards

Relationships

Framework	Indicator	Comparability
UNHCR Global Results Framework	13.3 Proportion of people (working age) who are unemployed	Comparable
Sustainible Development Goals Indicators	Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities	Comparable

Limitations

While the unemployment rate is widely regarded as a useful indicator of labor market performance and labor underutilization in most developed countries, its significance in many developing contexts can be questioned. In the absence of unemployment insurance systems or social safety nets, individuals of working age often cannot afford to remain unemployed. As a result, they may engage in some form of economic activity however marginal or inadequate simply to survive. In such settings, the unemployment rate alone may fail to capture the true extent of labor underutilization. Therefore, complementary indicators, such as measures of informal employment or underemployment, are necessary to provide a more comprehensive assessment. Additionally, discrepancies in measurement tools, sampling methodologies (including which populations and regions are covered), and definitions of what constitutes “employment” can significantly affect the comparability of unemployment figures across countries. Variations in whether informal work is included further complicate interpretation, particularly in contexts where informal employment is prevalent, such as among forcibly displaced and stateless populations.

References

https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/snapshots/unemployment-rate/

https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/?Goal=8&Target=8.5

https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/files/Metadata-08-05-02.pdf

Data Sources

The preferred official national data source for this indicator is a household-based labor force survey. In the absence of a labor force survey, a population census and/or other type of household surveys with an appropriate employment module may also be used to obtain the required data. When official sources do not include forcibly displaced or stateless people or they cannot be disaggregated in the dataset, other potential data sources include UNHCR standardized surveys such as the Forced Displacement Survey, Results Monitoring Survey, etc.

Panama: Census - 2023

Code

GOVT_PAN_2023_CENSUS

Time period

2023

Coverage

Panama

Kind of data

Census or national survey

Producers

Gov't. of Panama

Links

Other

Burundi: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2022

Code

UNHCR_BDI_2022_RMS

Time period

2022

Coverage

Burundi

Kind of data

Probability survey

Producers

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Links

Unemployment rate Metadata

Information

Full name

Short name

Code

Definition

Rationale

Method of computation

Comparability

Relationships

Limitations

References

Data Sources

Panama: Census - 2023

Burundi: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2022

Burundi: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2023

Bulgaria: Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) - 2023

Bulgaria: Socio-Economic Insights Survey (SEIS) - 2024

Czechia: Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) - 2023

Czechia: Socio-Economic Insights Survey (SEIS) - 2024

Djibouti: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2023

Estonia: Socio-Economic Insights Survey (SEIS) - 2024

Ethiopia: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2022

Hungary: Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) - 2023

Hungary: Socio-Economic Insights Survey (SEIS) - 2024

India: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2024

Kazakhstan: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2022

Kyrgyzstan: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2022

Rep. of Korea: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2022

Lithuania: Socio-Economic Insights Survey (SEIS) - 2024

Latvia: Socio-Economic Insights Survey (SEIS) - 2024

Rep. of Moldova: Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) - 2023

Rep. of Moldova: Socio-Economic Insights Survey (SEIS) - 2024

Myanmar: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2023

Mozambique: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - IDPs in Cabo Delgado - 2023

Malawi: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2022

Malaysia: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2023

Nepal: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2023

Philippines: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2023

Papua New Guinea: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2023

Poland: Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) - 2023

Poland: Socio-Economic Insights Survey (SEIS) - 2024

Romania: Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) - 2023

Romania: Socio-Economic Insights Survey (SEIS) - 2024

Somalia: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2022

Somalia: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2023

South Sudan: UNHCR Results Monitory Survey - 2023

Slovakia: Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) - 2023

Slovakia: Socio-Economic Insights Survey (SEIS) - 2024

Tajikistan: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2022

United Rep. of Tanzania: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2022

Uganda: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2024

Zimbabwe: UNHCR Results Monitoring Survey - 2023

Ethiopia: Socio‑Economic Survey of Refugees in Ethiopia (SESRE) – 2023