Uruguay Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Uruguay's unemployment rate was 7.52% in 2025, ranked 128th globally. This represents a 8.2% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1983–2025.
Overview
Uruguay's unemployment rate stood at 7.52% in 2025, a decline of +0.67pp from 2024. The IMF projects 7.93% by 2025. Uruguay ranked 128th globally.
Uruguay’s unemployment rate has fallen markedly since its all‑time peak of 16.66 % in 2003, declining to a trough of 6.31 % in 2011 before rising modestly to 7.52 % in 2025, placing the country at rank 128 globally. Over the 43‑year series, the labor market has shown resilience, with the post‑crisis recovery of the early 2010s driving the lowest level on record, while recent modest increases reflect broader regional dynamics. Compared with peers, Uruguay’s 2025 rate is slightly above Argentina’s 7.14 % and closely matches France’s 7.54 %, indicating a competitive position within both Latin American and advanced economies. The persistence of a sub‑8 % unemployment rate suggests that structural reforms in education and vocational training could sustain the downward trajectory, while external shocks such as commodity price volatility or regional economic slowdown would be the principal risks to further improvement.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2030* IMF | 8.00% | - | - |
| 2029* IMF | 8.00% | - | - |
| 2028* IMF | 8.00% | - | - |
| 2027* IMF | 8.00% | - | - |
| 2026* IMF | 8.00% | - | - |
| 2025* IMF | 7.93% | - | - |
| 2025 | 7.52% | −0.67pp | #128 |
| 2024 | 8.21% | −0.12pp | #137 |
| 2023 | 8.36% | +0.49pp | #142 |
| 2022 | 7.88% | −1.50pp | #133 |
| 2021 | 9.33% | −1.02pp | #136 |
| 2020 | 10.41% | +1.49pp | #138 |
| 2019 | 8.84% | +0.47pp | #138 |
| 2018 | 8.34% | +0.41pp | #131 |
| 2017 | 7.89% | +0.02pp | #123 |
| 2016 | 7.84% | +0.32pp | #119 |
| 2015 | 7.49% | +0.86pp | #113 |
| 2014 | 6.55% | +0.04pp | #95 |
| 2013 | 6.44% | +0.12pp | #94 |
| 2012 | 6.45% | +0.11pp | #91 |
| 2011 | 6.31% | −0.72pp | #90 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Uruguay matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 2020. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Uruguay's unemployment rate was 7.52% in 2025. Ranked 128th globally. This represents a 8.2% decrease from the previous year.
Uruguay's unemployment rate peaked at 16.66% in 2003.
The lowest unemployment rate in Uruguay was 6.31% in 2011.
Uruguay ranks 128th globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Uruguay's unemployment rate is projected to reach 7.93% by 2025 based on IMF projection.
The unemployment rate of Uruguay in 2025 was 7.52%. This ranks 128th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_uruguay_unemployment-rate,
title = {Uruguay Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/uruguay/unemployment-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}