Short-Term Labour Market Statistics
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Thousands of persons, ratios in percentage, and growth rates (all raw and seasonally adjusted).
Click to expand Date last updated
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05/02/2024 03:51:16
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"This dataset builds on infra-annual labour market statistics currently published by the OECD.
The measures, with their relationships are:

• Working age population = Active population + Inactive population
• Active population (Labour force) = Employed population + Unemployed population
• Employed population
• Unemployed population
• Inactive population (Population outside the labour force)
• Employment rate = Employed population / Working age population
• Unemployment rate = Unemployed population / Active population
• Participation rate = Active population / Working age population
Data are available by age group:

• 15+ (working age population aged 15 years and over)
• 15-24 (youth)
• 25-54 (prime-aged workers)
• 55-64 (older workers)
• 15-64 (working age population aged 15 to 64 years)
• 15-74 (persons aged 15 to 74, where available)
All these breakdowns are available for women, men and total; raw and seasonally adjusted.


For Iceland, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, the lower age limit is 16 years old."
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The Short-Term Labour Market Statistics dataset contains predominantly quarterly labour statistics, and associated statistical methodological information, for the 38 OECD member countries and selected other economies. The Short-Term Labour Market Statistics dataset covers countries that compile labour statistics from sample household surveys on a monthly or quarterly basis. It is widely accepted that household surveys are the best source for labour market key statistics. In such surveys, information is collected from people living in households through a representative sample and the surveys are based on standard methodology and procedures used internationally. The subjects available cover: working age population by age; active and inactive labour force by age; employment by economic activity, by working time and by status; and, unemployment (including monthly unemployment) by age and by duration. Data is expressed in levels (thousands of persons) or rates (e.g. employment rate) where applicable.

Data are based on Labour Force Surveys and national information in this dataset is directly collected from the following sources:

ABS - Australian Bureau of Statistics (Australia)
Statistics Canada (Canada)
INE - Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (Chile)
DANE - Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (Colombia)
INEC – Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos (Costa Rica)
CBS – Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel)
Statistics Bureau (Japan)
Statistics Korea (Korea)
INEGI - Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Geografía (Mexico)
Statistics New Zealand (New Zealand)
ONS - Office for National Statistics (the United Kingdom)
BLS - Bureau of Labor Statistics (the United States)
Eurostat (Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey).

Annual data are typically averages of quarterly data.
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Click to expand Recommended uses and limitations
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See the note on the divergence in employment and unemployment statistics during the Covid-19 crisis: http://www.oecd.org/sdd/labour-stats/OECD-employment-and-unemployment-statistics-during-the-COVID-19-crisis.pdf

Data for all European Union (EU) member countries and its zones, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey are collected directly from the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat).

Note the recent change in methodology of the EU Labour Force Survey, with the entry into force in 2021 of the Integrated European Social Statistics Framework Regulation (IESS FR)
Short-Term Labour Market StatisticsUnit of measure used
Thousands of persons, ratios in percentage, and growth rates (all raw and seasonally adjusted).
Date last updated
05/02/2024 03:51:16
Contact personStatistical population
"This dataset builds on infra-annual labour market statistics currently published by the OECD.
The measures, with their relationships are:

• Working age population = Active population + Inactive population
• Active population (Labour force) = Employed population + Unemployed population
• Employed population
• Unemployed population
• Inactive population (Population outside the labour force)
• Employment rate = Employed population / Working age population
• Unemployment rate = Unemployed population / Active population
• Participation rate = Active population / Working age population
Data are available by age group:

• 15+ (working age population aged 15 years and over)
• 15-24 (youth)
• 25-54 (prime-aged workers)
• 55-64 (older workers)
• 15-64 (working age population aged 15 to 64 years)
• 15-74 (persons aged 15 to 74, where available)
All these breakdowns are available for women, men and total; raw and seasonally adjusted.


For Iceland, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, the lower age limit is 16 years old."
Key statistical concept
The Short-Term Labour Market Statistics dataset contains predominantly quarterly labour statistics, and associated statistical methodological information, for the 38 OECD member countries and selected other economies. The Short-Term Labour Market Statistics dataset covers countries that compile labour statistics from sample household surveys on a monthly or quarterly basis. It is widely accepted that household surveys are the best source for labour market key statistics. In such surveys, information is collected from people living in households through a representative sample and the surveys are based on standard methodology and procedures used internationally. The subjects available cover: working age population by age; active and inactive labour force by age; employment by economic activity, by working time and by status; and, unemployment (including monthly unemployment) by age and by duration. Data is expressed in levels (thousands of persons) or rates (e.g. employment rate) where applicable.

Data are based on Labour Force Surveys and national information in this dataset is directly collected from the following sources:

ABS - Australian Bureau of Statistics (Australia)
Statistics Canada (Canada)
INE - Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (Chile)
DANE - Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (Colombia)
INEC – Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos (Costa Rica)
CBS – Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel)
Statistics Bureau (Japan)
Statistics Korea (Korea)
INEGI - Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Geografía (Mexico)
Statistics New Zealand (New Zealand)
ONS - Office for National Statistics (the United Kingdom)
BLS - Bureau of Labor Statistics (the United States)
Eurostat (Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey).

Annual data are typically averages of quarterly data.
Recommended uses and limitations
See the note on the divergence in employment and unemployment statistics during the Covid-19 crisis: http://www.oecd.org/sdd/labour-stats/OECD-employment-and-unemployment-statistics-during-the-COVID-19-crisis.pdf

Data for all European Union (EU) member countries and its zones, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey are collected directly from the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat).

Note the recent change in methodology of the EU Labour Force Survey, with the entry into force in 2021 of the Integrated European Social Statistics Framework Regulation (IESS FR)