Employment and labor force participation rates in OECD countries reached their highest level in the second quarter of 2026. The employment rate increased to 70.4% and the labor force participation rate rose to 74.2%, indicating overall stability in these indicators.
Changes in Employment Rates in OECD Countries
According to the data, the recent increase in employment and labor force participation rates was 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, and no significant changes were observed compared to the same quarter of 2025. Meanwhile, the employment and labor force participation rates are high in 9 and 13 OECD countries respectively.
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The employment rate among OECD countries varies from 54.8% in Turkey to over 80% in Iceland, Japan, and the Netherlands. The highest annual increase in employment rates was recorded in Colombia and Portugal, with increases of 1.5 and 1.3 percentage points respectively. This increase reflects high labor force participation along with a decrease in the unemployment rate in these countries.
Unemployment Situation in OECD
The unemployment rate in OECD countries reached 5.0% in August 2026, which is only 0.2 percentage points above its lowest level in June 2023. In this regard, the unemployment rate remained largely unchanged in 20 OECD countries as well as in the European Union (6.1%) and the Eurozone (6.4%).
An increase in the unemployment rate was observed in seven countries, particularly in Colombia, while a decrease was recorded in Denmark, Finland, Greece, Israel, and Turkey. The unemployment rate among youth aged 15 to 24 rose to 11.3%, up from 11.0% in July, widening the gap between youth and workers over 25 years old.
Preliminary estimates for September 2026 indicate that the unemployment rates in Canada and the United States remained at 6.5% and 4.2% respectively. This situation reflects stability in the labor markets of these two countries.
