Latest News Stream - Unemployment Rate

Switzerland’s non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.0% for a third month in a row in October 2026. The number of unemployed people rose by 535 from a month earlier to 141,015. Across the cantons, the largest increases were recorded in Wallis (+327), Bern (+300), and Graubünden (+204), while Waadt saw the biggest decline (-250). The services sector accounted for the largest increase in unemployment (+696), followed by agriculture, forestry and fishing (+116), while industry recorded a decrease (-115). The jobless rate among young people aged 15 to 24 ticked down to 3.2% from 3.3% in September, with the number of unemployed youth falling by 679 to 13,667. The unemployment rate for workers aged 50 to 64 edged up to 2.7% from 2.6%, as the number of unemployed people in this age group increased by 239 to 38,721. Registered job seekers dropped by 3,737 to 40,462. Seasonally adjusted, the jobless rate was 3.1%, unchanged from the previous six months.

The unemployment rate in Indonesia fell to 4.75% in Q3 of 2026 from 4.84% in the same quarter the previous year. The number of unemployed persons slipped 1.07% from a year earlier to 7.38 million. At the same time, the number of employed added 0.99% to 147.99 million, mostly in agriculture, wholesale & retail trade, and manufacturing. Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate inched lower to 70.33% from 70.59% a year earlier.

Ireland’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 4.8% in October 2026, from a downwardly revised 4.7% in September. The jobless rate has remained below 5% for seven consecutive months. The number of unemployed increased by 1,600 month-on-month and 5,900 year-on-year to 143,600, reaching the highest level since May. The female unemployment rate edged up to 4.8% from 4.7%, with the number of unemployed women reaching 68,100, its highest level since June. Conversely, the male jobless rate eased to 4.7% from 4.8%, as unemployed men edged lower to 75,500. Youth unemployment among those aged 15-24 rose to 11.5% from a revised 11.4% in September. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for people aged 25-74 remained unchanged at 3.8%. The overall rate was also above the 4.7% recorded in October 2025.

Morocco's strict unemployment rate increased to 10.5% in the third quarter of 2026 from 9.5% in the second quarter, with 1.224 million people unemployed out of a labor force of 11.69 million, up from 1.121 million in Q2. The unemployment rate was higher among women, at 16.7%, compared with 8.7% for men, while youth unemployment among those aged 15–24 rose to 30.5% from 27.2% in Q2. Meanwhile, employment totaled 10.47 million, down from 10.64 million, while the participation rate stood at 42.2%. The services sector remained the largest employer, accounting for 5.155 million jobs, or 49.2% of total employment, followed by agriculture (2.425 million), industry (1.526 million), and construction (1.356 million). The figures are based on the newly introduced EMO 2026 labour force survey, launched in the first quarter of 2026, which applies updated international standards.

Austria’s unemployment rate edged up to 7.3% in October, 0.1 percentage points higher than a year earlier. The total number of unemployed persons increased by 3,999 year-on-year to 314,499, with the female unemployment rate rising to 7.5%, representing 150,647 people, while the rate for men and other genders increased to 7.2%, representing 163,852 people. Including training participants, the number of unemployed persons and those enrolled in training programs reached 389,941, up 1.8% year-on-year. The number of unemployed women training participants increased by 7%, while the corresponding figure for men and other genders fell by 5.2%. Long-term unemployment also remained elevated, with the number of people unemployed for more than 12 months increasing by 18.1% to 56,924.

Colombia’s national unemployment rate fell to 8% in September 2026 from 9.4% in August. In the 13 main cities and metropolitan areas, unemployment stood at 8.3%. The national labor force participation rate was 63.8%, while the employment rate reached 58.7%. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate averaged 8.5% in the July–September 2026 quarter, unchanged from the same period in 2025.

Brazil’s unemployment rate edged down to 5.2% in the rolling quarter ended September 2026, from 5.3% in the previous period, matching market expectations and marking its lowest level since December 2025. The number of unemployed fell 4% quarter-on-quarter to 5.6 million. The employed population rose by 0.6% to 103.6 million, bringing the employment rate to 59%. The labor force participation rate remained unchanged at 62.2%. Private-sector employees with formal contracts, excluding domestic workers, were broadly stable at 39.4 million, the highest level on record. Meanwhile, the composite underutilization rate held at 13%, with 4.3 million people working fewer hours than desired and 2.5 million discouraged from seeking employment. Average real monthly earnings edged up to R$3,790.

Greece’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 7.6% in September 2026, following a more than eighteen-year low of 7.4% in the previous month. The number of unemployed individuals climbed by 7.5 thousand month-on-month to 359.6 thousand. Unemployment among women remained significantly higher than among men, standing at 10.5% compared with 5.2%. Meanwhile, the number of people outside the labour force, defined as those under 75 who are neither employed nor seeking work, fell by 2.7 thousand to 2,949.1 thousand. Employment also decreased by 9 thousand, bringing the total number of employed individuals to around 4,391.2 thousand.

The Eurozone's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 6.5% for the third consecutive month in September 2026, the highest since February 2024 and slightly surpassing analysts' forecasts of 6.4%. The number of unemployed increased by 122 thousand from the prior month to 11.555 million. In turn, youth unemployment inched up to a six-month high of 15.4% from 15.1% in the prior month, leaving 2.469 million people under the age of 25 out of work. Among the major economies in the bloc, Spain (10.3%), France (8.5%), and Italy (6.3%) posted the highest rates, while Germany (4.1%) and the Netherlands (4%) registered the lower rates. A year ago, the jobless rate was slightly lower at 6.3%. In the broader European Union, the unemployment rate remained unchanged for the fourth consecutive month at 6.2%.

Germany’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.4% in October 2026, in line with market expectations and holding at its highest level since 2020. The number of unemployed increased by a smaller-than-expected 4,000 to 3.016 million, marking the highest level since March 2011. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, unemployment fell by 40,000 to 2.955 million, down from 2.994 million in September, remaining below the 3 million threshold for a second consecutive month. Labor Office head Andrea Nahles noted that “the economic conditions are still not sufficient for an improvement in the labor market,” highlighting the continued weakness in employment conditions. Meanwhile, the number of vacancies registered with the Federal Employment Agency reached 654,000 in October, up by 31,000 compared with the same month a year earlier.

Macau’s unemployment rate eased to 1.8% in September 2026 from 2.0% in the previous month. The number of unemployed people edged up by 100 month-on-month to 6,000, while total employment also edged down by 700 to 375,200. The labour force participation rate edged down to 66.4% from 66.7%, as the labour force decreased by 1,400 to 382,000. Meanwhile, the general underemployment rate inched up to 1.6% from 1.5% in August. By sector, recreational, cultural, gaming and other services remained the largest source of employment, accounting for 25.3% of employed residents, followed by wholesale and retail trade (11.9%), public administration and social security (11.4%), and hotels, restaurants and similar activities (10.9%).

Denmark’s net unemployment rate was unchanged at 2.7% for the seventh straight month in September 2026, remaining at its highest level since September 2021. The number of net unemployed persons increased by 0.3 thousand from the previous month to 83.1 thousand. Net unemployed recipients of unemployment benefits rose by 0.3 thousand to 73.2 thousand, while those receiving social assistance were largely unchanged at 9.9 thousand. Meanwhile, the gross unemployment rate was also steady at 3.1%, with the number of unemployed persons falling by just 0.2 thousand to 93.6 thousand full-time workers. Jobless rates for both men and women were unchanged at 3.1%. By age group, unemployment remained lowest among those aged 16-24, steady at 1.6%, while it was highest among those aged 25-29, edging up to 5.0% from 4.9%.

Romania’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate eased to 6.3% in September 2026 from 6.4% in the previous month, marking its lowest reading since February. The number of unemployed people fell by 6.3 thousand month-on-month but rose by 26.2 thousand year-on-year to 517.1 thousand. By gender, the unemployment rate for men edged down to 6.2% from 6.3% in August, while the rate for women remained steady at 6.5%. Among individuals aged 25–74, who accounted for 76.8% of the total number of unemployed people, the unemployment rate inched down to 5.1% from 5.2%. Compared with the same month a year earlier, however, the overall unemployment rate remained higher than the 6.0% recorded in September 2025.

Singapore’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate inched up to 2.0% in Q3 2026, from 1.9% in the previous quarter, which was the lowest since Q4 2024, preliminary data showed. Total employment increased by 27,700 in Q3, compared with 11,400 in the previous quarter and 25,100 in the same period last year. Employment growth was led by non-residents, particularly in the construction and manufacturing sectors. Layoffs rose to 4,800 in Q3, the highest since Q4 2020, up from 4,620 in Q2. The increase was led by outward-oriented sectors, while business reorganisation continued to be the main driver of retrenchments. However, the retrenchment rate remained at 2.0 per 1,000. Looking ahead, more firms plan to hire, while wage-growth intentions have accelerated, although both remain below July levels, suggesting that employers remain cautious about hiring and wage increases amid continued uncertainty

Japan’s unemployment rate edged down to 2.4% in September 2026, below market expectations and August's figure of 2.5%. The number of unemployed fell by 100 thousand to 1.67 million, while employment increased by 340 thousand to a four-month high of 68.68 million. The labor force expanded by 250 thousand to 70.34 million, while the number of people outside the labor force declined by 200 thousand to a four-month low of 39.13 million. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the labor force participation rate edged up to 64.5% from 64.2% in August and a year earlier. Meanwhile, the jobs-to-applicants ratio rose to 1.19 from 1.18 in each of the previous three months, exceeding consensus of 1.18.

Chile’s unemployment rate rose to 9.8% in the July–September 2026 quarter, up from 9.6% in the previous period and above market expectations of 9.5%. This marked the highest level since November 2021. The number of unemployed increased by 15.3% year-on-year to approximately 1 million, driven by both those who were laid off (14.4%) and those seeking employment for the first time (24.7%). Meanwhile, total employment fell by 1.1% to 9.27 million, pushing the employment rate down slightly to 55.5% from 55.6%. Job losses were concentrated in manufacturing (-8.1%), information and communications (-20.8%), and financial and insurance activities (-14.1%). Meanwhile, the labour force grew by 0.3%, and the participation rate edged up to 61.6% from 61.5%. By gender, unemployment remained higher among women at 10.5%, compared with 9.3% for men. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 9.6%.

Portugal’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.6% in September 2026, matching a more than 24-year low recorded earlier this year. The gender gap persisted, with unemployment at 6.1% among women and 5.0% among men. The adult unemployment rate also held steady at 4.6%, its lowest level since April 2002, while youth unemployment stood at 19.1%. The number of unemployed people fell by 5,000 to 313,000, while employment declined by 4,900 to 5.326 million. Consequently, the employment rate edged down to 65.8% from 65.9%, and the labor force participation rate eased to 69.6% from 69.8%. Both indicators have retreated since reaching record highs in May 2026. Meanwhile, the broader labor underutilization rate, which includes unemployed, underemployed, and marginally attached workers, remained unchanged at 9.6%.

Italy's unemployment rate rose to 6.3% in September 2026, the highest since May 2025, and above market expectations of 6.2%. The number of unemployed people increased by 4,000, or 0.3%, during the month. Meanwhile, the inactivity rate among people aged 15 to 64 remained unchanged at 32.7%. The number of employed people stood at 24.328 million, largely unchanged from August, keeping the employment rate steady at 63%. Growth in temporary employment offset declines in permanent jobs, while self-employment remained stable. Meanwhile, youth unemployment fell to 19.9%, down 0.4 percentage points from the previous month. Compared with September 2025, employment rose by 198,000 people, an annual increase of 0.8%. Permanent employees increased by 71,000, temporary workers by 89,000, and self-employed workers by 38,000. However, quarterly data showed employment declining by 13,000 in the third quarter of 2026, while jobseekers increased by 108,000 compared with the previous quarter.

Russia’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 2.2% in September 2026, the same as in August and matching market expectations. On a yearly basis, the unemployment rate was also unchanged from 2.2% in September 2025. The labor force aged 15 and over held at 76.7 million people, including 75 million employed and 1.7 million unemployed, up from 1.6 million in the previous month. Registered unemployment remained low at around 0.3 million people, or 0.4% of the labor force. The number of unemployed increased by 0.3% from a year earlier, while employment rose by 0.6%. Labor market conditions remain tight, reflecting persistent worker shortages across multiple sectors amid military mobilization following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and sustained emigration. Authorities expect labor constraints to persist, projecting a shortfall of around 3.1 million workers by 2030.