Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

International Labor Comparisons

International Comparisons of Annual Labor Force Statistics


APPENDIX A.  UNADJUSTED LABOR FORCE STATISTICS


   

More Options


Introduction

Unadjusted statistics in this appendix are those that are published by the originating country; that is, they are not adjusted to U.S. concepts by BLS. Unlike the adjusted data presented in the remainder of this report, some of these unadjusted data may be from administrative records and establishment surveys rather than household surveys.

In the past, there were large differences between the unadjusted and adjusted unemployment rates for almost all countries due to differences in data sources—the unadjusted series often incorporated administrative data, whereas the adjusted series have been based on labor force survey data. In recent years, many countries have revised their historical data to be similarly based on labor force surveys, thus reducing differences between the two series. Major differences remain for three countries: Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.


Tables




Table A-1 Unadjusted unemployment (in thousands)
Year  United  
States
  Canada  Australia   Japan     France  Germany    Italy      Nether- 
lands
 Sweden   United
Kingdom  

1970

40934769159054314911113159(na)

1971

50165351076405891851109431011023

1972

48825531507306102461296731071155

1973

436551513668059227313037798977

1974

515651416273064958211119580933

1975

79296903031000(b) 79110741226139671089

1976

7406(b) 744298108089110601420153661405

1977

69918683581100101210301538152751441

1978

6202934405124010609931560159941466

1979

6137868408117012098761686166881405

1980

7637895409114013038891684194861648

1981

827393139412601542127218953071082544

1982

1067813584951360(b) 1687183319234371372824

1983

10717150669715601761225821405331513023

1984

8539144664116102068226523045341363278

1985

8312138560315602204230423814821243156

1986

82371286(b) 601167022282228(b) 2611475(b) 1173154

1987

742511936121730226722292832486(b) 923061

1988

670110705581550218922422885490782526

1989

652810614901420204820382865452672106

1990

(b) 704711585631340(b) 199118832621419752004

1991

8628147978813602043(b) 2602(b) 26534001332442

1992

9613160589714202278297927994112332821

1993

89401642914166025543419(b) 22274813562928

1994

(b) 7996151582919202721369824215473402675

1995

7404139473921002580361225445333322435

1996

723614327512250273839652555(b) 5013472296

1997

(b) 6739137375923002779438425844483421988

1998

(b) 6210127072127902680428126343542761789

1999

(b) 5880118265231702625410025593012411728

2000

(b) 5692108360232002262389023882702031588

2001

68011164(b) 65834002071385321642521751490

2002

8378126963035902132406120623021761529

2003

(b) 877412865993500(b) 2299437720483992171489

2004

(b) 8149123555131302412438119604792461424

2005

7591117353129402429(b) 48611889483(b) 3671465

2006

7001110851627502432448716734133361669

2007

7078107948225702217377615063442981653

2008

8924111947726502067326816923043051776

Footnotes:
(b) Break in series; see Country notes for more information.
(na) Not available.
 

NOTE: Unemployment from labor force surveys for the United States, Canada, Australia, France for 1975 onward, Japan, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands for 1987 onward, and the United Kingdom for 1984 onward; national estimates based on a combination of registered unemployed and unemployment from labor force surveys for the Netherlands prior to 1987 and the United Kingdom prior to 1984; annual estimates based on seasonally adjusted unemployment for France prior to 1975; registered unemployed for Germany. Unadjusted data (as published by the originating country) are identical to data adjusted to U.S. concepts shown in Table 1-1 for the United States, Canada prior to 1976, Australia, Japan, France for 1975 onward, Italy for 1993 onward, and Sweden prior to 1985.


Back to Top Back to Top



Table A-2 Unadjusted unemployment rates (in percent)
Year  United  
States
  Canada  Australia   Japan     France  Germany    Italy      Nether- 
lands
 Sweden   United
Kingdom  

1970

4.95.71.71.12.50.75.40.71.5(na)

1971

5.96.21.91.22.70.85.40.92.54.0

1972

5.66.22.61.42.81.16.41.52.74.5

1973

4.95.62.31.32.71.26.41.62.53.8

1974

5.65.32.71.42.92.65.42.02.03.6

1975

8.56.94.91.9(b) 3.54.75.92.81.64.2

1976

7.7(b) 7.14.82.03.94.66.73.11.65.4

1977

7.18.05.62.04.34.57.23.11.85.5

1978

6.18.46.32.24.54.37.23.22.25.6

1979

5.87.56.32.15.13.87.73.32.15.3

1980

7.17.56.12.05.43.87.63.82.06.1

1981

7.67.65.82.26.45.58.46.02.59.4

1982

9.711.07.22.4(b) 6.97.58.68.43.110.5

1983

9.612.010.02.67.29.19.410.23.511.3

1984

7.511.39.02.78.49.110.010.23.111.9

1985

7.210.68.32.68.99.310.39.12.811.4

1986

7.09.7(b) 7.92.88.99.0(b) 11.18.6(b) 2.711.3

1987

6.28.87.92.89.18.912.08.5(b) 2.110.9

1988

5.57.87.02.58.88.712.08.41.88.9

1989

5.37.56.02.38.27.912.07.61.57.3

1990

(b) 5.68.16.72.1(b) 7.97.211.06.91.76.9

1991

6.810.39.32.18.1(b) 6.4(b) 10.96.53.08.5

1992

7.511.210.52.29.07.711.56.55.39.9

1993

6.911.410.62.510.18.9(b) 9.77.58.210.4

1994

(b) 6.110.49.42.910.79.610.68.58.09.5

1995

5.69.58.23.210.19.411.28.17.78.6

1996

5.49.68.23.410.610.411.2(b) 7.58.18.1

1997

4.99.18.33.410.811.411.36.68.06.9

1998

4.58.37.74.110.311.111.35.16.56.3

1999

4.27.66.94.710.010.510.94.35.66.0

2000

4.06.86.34.78.69.610.13.84.75.4

2001

4.77.2(b) 6.85.07.89.49.13.54.05.1

2002

5.87.76.45.47.99.88.64.14.05.2

2003

6.07.65.95.3(b) 8.510.58.45.44.95.1

2004

5.57.25.44.78.910.58.06.55.54.8

2005

5.16.85.04.48.9(b) 11.77.76.5(b) 7.84.9

2006

4.66.34.84.18.810.86.85.57.15.4

2007

4.66.04.43.98.09.06.14.56.15.3

2008

5.86.14.24.07.47.86.73.96.25.7

Footnotes:
(b) Break in series; see Country notes for more information.
(na) Not available.
 

NOTE: Unemployment as a percent of the civilian labor force for the United States, Canada, and Australia; unemployment as a percent of the civilian labor force plus career military personnel for Japan, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom; registered unemployed as a percent of the civilian labor force for Germany prior to 1991 and as a percent of civilian employed wage and salary workers plus the unemployed for 1991 onward. Published unemployment rates cannot be derived by dividing published unemployment by published labor force for Germany. Unadjusted data (as published by the originating country) are identical to data adjusted to U.S. concepts shown in Table 1-2 for the United States, Canada prior to 1976, and Australia.


Back to Top Back to Top



Table A-3 Unadjusted employment (in thousands)
Year  United  
States
  Canada  Australia   Japan     France  Germany    Italy      Nether- 
lands
 Sweden   United
Kingdom  

1970

78678791953885094020949266681932546813854(na)

1971

7936781045517512102100826772192954706386024559

1972

(b) 8215383445601512602138226875189764736386224539

1973

8506487615765525902153227160191454769387924986

1974

8679491255891523702172226829195394771396224985

1975

858469284586652230(b) 2207726110196354744406224965

1976

88752(b) 97485946527102224125974197574762408824788

1977

9201799176000534202240626008199384792409924799

1978

(b) 96048102206038540802241526219200174790411524886

1979

98824106696111547902266326657202124800418025136

1980

99303109846284553602282627059204874881423225215

1981

100397113056416558102269327033205444848422524549

1982

9952610944641556380(b) 2267026725204934752421924067

1983

100834110226300573302263926347205574699422423630

1984

105005113026494576602243526393206294720425524208

1985

107150116276697580702246426593207354811429924554

1986

(b) 10959711987(b) 6984585302267326960(b) 208575040(b) 426924683

1987

112440123337142591102267527157208375257(b) 428125031

1988

114968127107413601102275527364211035378434225913

1989

117342129967734612802307627761210045477440826709

1990

(b) 11879313086787762490(b) 2314628486213045644444926922

1991

1177181285776986369023037(b) 38621(b) 215925790437326365

1992

118492127317660643602299638059214595885419525540

1993

120259127937699645002285237555(b) 207655925396425304

1994

(b) 123060130597942645302276837516203935920392625505

1995

124900132958256645702303837601202406063398825819

1996

12670813421836464860231583749820328(b) 6185396326060

1997

(b) 129558137068444655702306737463203846384392226526

1998

(b) 131463140468618651402331637911205916587397926795

1999

(b) 133488144078762646202356938424208476768406827167

2000

(b) 136891147648989644602418339144212106917415927483

2001

136933149469088641202457139316216047020423927710

2002

136485153109271633002480139096219137035424427921

2003

(b) 13773615672948563160(b) 2473838726222417001423428186

2004

(b) 139252159479662632902482938880224046919421328485

2005

141730161709998635602501438851225636918(b) 434828774

2006

1444271648410255638202517439097229887074442929030

2007

1460471686610539641202558039768232227259454129222

2008

1453621712610777638502595140330234057410459329443

Footnotes:
(b) Break in series; see Country notes for more information.
(na) Not available.
 

NOTE: Includes military personnel for all countries except the United States, Canada, and Australia. Unadjusted data (as published by the originating country) are identical to data adjusted to U.S. concepts shown in Table 2-1 for the United States, Canada prior to 1976, and Australia.


Back to Top Back to Top



Table A-4 Unadjusted labor force (in thousands)
Year  United  
States
  Canada  Australia   Japan     France  Germany    Italy      Nether- 
lands
 Sweden   United
Kingdom  

1970

82771839554785153021491268172043647113913(na)

1971

8438286395624518602159626957204044749396125582

1972

(b) 8703488975752519902199227121202724809396925694

1973

8942992765901532602212427433204484846397725963

1974

9194996396053531002237127411206504867404225919

1975

937759974616953230(b) 2286827184208614883412926054

1976

96158(b) 104916244537802313227034211774915415426193

1977

99009107856358545202341827038214764944417426240

1978

(b) 102251111556443553202347527212215774949420926352

1979

104962115376519559602387227528218984967426826541

1980

106940118796693565002412927948221715075431826863

1981

108670122366810570702423528305224395154433327093

1982

11020412302691057740(b) 2435728558224165189435626892

1983

111550125286997588902440028605226975232437526653

1984

113544127487135592702450328659229335253439127485

1985

115461130127300596302466828897231175293442327710

1986

(b) 11783413272(b) 7585602002490029188(b) 234675515(b) 438627837

1987

119865135267754608402494229386236695743(b) 437328092

1988

121669137797970616602494529607239885867442028439

1989

123869140578224627002512329799238705929447528815

1990

(b) 12584014245844063840(b) 2513730369239256063452428925

1991

1263461433684866505025080(b) 41223(b) 242456189450628807

1992

128105143368557657802527441038242576296442828361

1993

129200144358613661502540640974(b) 229926406432028232

1994

(b) 131056145748770664502548841214228146466426628180

1995

132304146898995666602561841213227846596432028254

1996

13394314854911567110258954146322883(b) 6686431028356

1997

(b) 136297150799204678702584641847229686832426428513

1998

(b) 137673153169339679302599642192232256941425528583

1999

(b) 139368155889414677902619442524234067069430928895

2000

(b) 142583158479590676602644543034235987187436229070

2001

143734161109746675202664143169237697272441429200

2002

144863165799901668902693343157239757337442029450

2003

(b) 146510169591008566660(b) 2703843103242897401445129675

2004

(b) 1474011718210213664202724143261243657398445929909

2005

1493201734310529665002744343712244517401(b) 471430239

2006

1514281759310771665702760743584246627486476630698

2007

1531241794611021666902779743544247287603483830875

2008

1542871824511254665002801843598250977714489831220

Footnotes:
(b) Break in series; see Country notes for more information.
(na) Not available.
 

NOTE: Includes military personnel for all countries except the United States, Canada, and Australia. Unadjusted data (as published by the originating country) are identical to data adjusted to U.S. concepts shown in Table 3-1 for the United States, Canada prior to 1976, and Australia.
 


Back to Top Back to Top

 

Last Modified Date: October 2, 2009