Japan Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Overview
Japan's unemployment rate stood at 2.45% in 2025, a decline of +0.12pp from 2024. The IMF projects 2.57% by 2025. Japan ranked 24th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2030* IMF | 2.57% | - | - |
| 2029* IMF | 2.57% | - | - |
| 2028* IMF | 2.57% | - | - |
| 2027* IMF | 2.57% | - | - |
| 2026* IMF | 2.57% | - | - |
| 2025* IMF | 2.57% | - | - |
| 2025 | 2.45% | −0.12pp | #24 |
| 2024 | 2.50% | −0.08pp | #25 |
| 2023 | 2.60% | +0.01pp | #26 |
| 2022 | 2.61% | −0.20pp | #26 |
| 2021 | 2.81% | +0.01pp | #23 |
| 2020 | 2.81% | +0.45pp | #23 |
| 2019 | 2.35% | −0.08pp | #25 |
| 2018 | 2.47% | −0.35pp | #26 |
| 2017 | 2.82% | −0.29pp | #28 |
| 2016 | 3.13% | −0.24pp | #34 |
| 2015 | 3.39% | −0.20pp | #38 |
| 2014 | 3.59% | −0.42pp | #45 |
| 2013 | 4.04% | −0.29pp | #55 |
| 2012 | 4.36% | −0.23pp | #62 |
| 2011 | 4.55% | −0.51pp | #66 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Japan matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2004. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Japan's unemployment rate was 2.45% in 2025. Ranked 24th globally. This represents a 4.5% decrease from the previous year.
Japan's unemployment rate peaked at 5.39% in 2002.
The lowest unemployment rate in Japan was 2.02% in 1980.
Japan ranks 24th globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Japan's unemployment rate is projected to reach 2.57% by 2025 based on IMF projection.
The unemployment rate of Japan in 2025 was 2.45%. This ranks 24th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_japan_unemployment-rate,
title = {Japan Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/japan/unemployment-rate},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}