# Unemployment rate: definition and caveats

## What it measures

Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Unit: %.

## Key points from Our World in Data

- The unemployment rate measures the share of the labor force that is without a job but actively looking for work and available to start soon. It is one of the most widely used indicators of labor market conditions across countries and over time.
- When defining the labor force, the definition of “working age” varies across countries, depending on national laws and practices. In the ILO modeled estimates shown here, this is harmonized to refer to people aged 15 and older.
- This data comes from the ILO Modelled Estimates series. The International Labour Organization (ILO) combines countries' own reported estimates with statistically modeled estimates when observations are missing. This improves comparability across countries and over time and allows the ILO to calculate regional and global aggregates for every year.
- This data follows the standards of the 13th International Classification of Labour Statisticians (ICLS). Under this framework, employment includes work for pay or profit, including self-employment, as well as the production of goods for own use (such as subsistence farming). Changes in the definition of employment also affect who is counted as unemployed or outside the labor force. Because definitions were updated under the 19th ICLS, data using the newer definitions is not fully comparable with data based on the 13th ICLS.

## Further documentation

- [Modelled Estimates documentation](https://ilostat.ilo.org/methods/concepts-and-definitions/ilo-modelled-estimates/)
- [this explainer by the ILO](https://www.ilo.org/publications/quick-guide-understanding-impact-new-statistical-standards-ilostat)

[Source and producers](/sources/unemployment) · [All unemployment rate figures](/unemployment).

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