The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released its report on unemployment in OECD countries today.
The unemployment rate for the entire OECD area was unchanged for the fifth consecutive month at 8.2% in July 2011. The Euro area unemployment rate was unchanged at 10.0% for the second consecutive month and has hovered around this level since December 2010.
Between June and July unemployment rates for OECD countries displayed very little movement. The single highest rise was for Luxembourg (up 0.3 percentage points to 4.6%) while the greatest fall was in Mexico (down 0.5 percentage points at 5.3%). New August 2011 data for the United States (unchanged at 9.1%) and Canada (up by 0.1 percentage point to 7.3%) confirm this current picture of broad stability in unemployment rates.
Countries where high unemployment rates continue to persist include Ireland (14.5%), Portugal (12.3%), the Slovak Republic (13.4%) and Spain (21.2%).
Around 44.5 million people were unemployed across the OECD area in July 2011, down 2.0 million from July 2010 but still 11.4 million higher than in July 2008.
OECD Unemployment Rates, s.a.
Percentage of labour force
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2010 | 2011 | 2011 | ||||||||
| Q3 | Q4 | Q1 | Q2 | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | ||||
| OECD – Total | 6.1 | 8.4 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 |
| Major Seven | 5.9 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.8 |
| European Union | 7.1 | 9 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| Euro area | 7.7 | 9.6 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9.9 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Australia | 4.2 | 5.6 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5 | 4.9 | 5 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5.1 |
| Austria | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
| Belgium | 7 | 7.9 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 7.2 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.5 |
| Canada(1) | 6.1 | 8.3 | 8 | 8 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.2 |
| Chile | 7.8 | 10.8 | 8.2 | 8 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.3 | 7 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.5 | |
| Czech Republic | 4.4 | 6.7 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.4 |
| Denmark | 3.4 | 6.1 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.1 |
| Estonia | 5.6 | 13.8 | 16.8 | 16.1 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.8 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | |
| Finland | 6.4 | 8.2 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 8 | 7.9 | 8 | 8 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 |
| France | 7.8 | 9.5 | 9.8 | 9.8 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 9.9 |
| Germany | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.1 | 6.9 | 6.6 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 |
| Greece | 7.7 | 9.5 | 12.6 | 13 | 14.1 | 15 | 15 | 15 | |||||
| Hungary | 7.8 | 10 | 11.2 | 11.1 | 11 | 11 | 10.1 | 10.9 | 10.6 | 10.3 | 10 | 9.9 | 9.7 |
| Iceland | 3 | 7.2 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 7.4 | 6.7 | ||||||
| Ireland | 6.4 | 11.8 | 13.7 | 13.8 | 14.3 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.3 | 14.5 |
| Israel(3) | 6.1 | 7.5 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6 | 5.5 | ||||||
| Italy | 6.8 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 8 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8 | 8.1 | 8 | 8 |
| Japan | 4 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5 | 5 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.7 |
| Korea | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 4 | 4 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| Luxembourg | 4.9 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.6 |
| Mexico | 4 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.1 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 5.3 |
| Netherlands | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 |
| New Zealand | 4.2 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 6.5 | ||||||
| Norway | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.3 | |
| Poland | 7.2 | 8.2 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.4 |
| Portugal | 8.5 | 10.6 | 12 | 12.2 | 12.3 | 12.4 | 12.6 | 12.4 | 12.5 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.5 | 12.3 |
| Slovak Republic | 9.5 | 12 | 14.4 | 14.3 | 14 | 13.5 | 13.4 | 13.5 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 |
| Slovenia | 4.4 | 5.9 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 8.4 |
| Spain | 11.4 | 18 | 20.1 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 20.6 | 20.8 | 20.6 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 20.8 | 21 | 21.2 |
| Sweden | 6.2 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Switzerland | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.9 | |||||||
| Turkey | 9.7 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.3 | |||
| United Kingdom | 5.6 | 7.6 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.8 | |||
| United States (2) | 5.8 | 9.3 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 8.9 | 9.1 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 9 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 9.1 |
