United Arab Emirates Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Overview
United Arab Emirates's unemployment rate stood at 2.17% in 2025, a rise of +0.01pp from 2024. United Arab Emirates ranked 19th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.17% | +0.01pp | #19 |
| 2024 | 2.16% | +0.01pp | #20 |
| 2023 | 2.15% | −0.72pp | #20 |
| 2022 | 2.87% | −0.23pp | #33 |
| 2021 | 3.11% | −1.19pp | #29 |
| 2020 | 4.29% | +1.96pp | #52 |
| 2019 | 2.33% | +0.09pp | #24 |
| 2018 | 2.24% | −0.23pp | #20 |
| 2017 | 2.46% | +0.82pp | #22 |
| 2016 | 1.64% | −0.15pp | #12 |
| 2015 | 1.79% | −0.21pp | #13 |
| 2014 | 2.00% | −0.13pp | #19 |
| 2013 | 2.13% | −0.20pp | #20 |
| 2012 | 2.32% | −0.26pp | #22 |
| 2011 | 2.59% | −0.21pp | #21 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
United Arab Emirates matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2024. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
United Arab Emirates's unemployment rate was 2.17% in 2025. Ranked 19th globally. This represents a 0.6% increase from the previous year.
United Arab Emirates's unemployment rate peaked at 4.29% in 2020.
The lowest unemployment rate in United Arab Emirates was 1.63% in 1991.
United Arab Emirates ranks 19th globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The unemployment rate of United Arab Emirates in 2025 was 2.17%. This ranks 19th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_united-arab-emirates_unemployment-rate,
title = {United Arab Emirates Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/united-arab-emirates/unemployment-rate},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}