OECD employment rate steady at 70.3% in Q3

Employment rates were unchanged in 16 OECD countries during the quarter, declined in 12, and increased in nine. Turkiye continued to post the lowest employment rate at 55.1 per cent, while Japan and the Netherlands recorded rates above 80 per cent. Labour force participation among those aged 15-64 also stayed at a record high of 74.1 per cent, with participation remaining below 70 per cent in Turkiye, Mexico, Costa Rica and Italy, OECD said in a press release.

On a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the OECD employment rate was unchanged compared with Q3 2024. The euro area saw a 0.3 percentage point rise, driven by higher participation, while the United Kingdom’s employment rate remained broadly stable as rising unemployment was offset by increased labour force participation. Colombia, Latvia, Portugal and Greece recorded the strongest annual gains, while New Zealand and Costa Rica experienced declines.

OECD unemployment stood at 5 per cent in November 2025, largely unchanged from September. More recent estimates indicate a rise in Canada’s unemployment rate to 6.8 per cent in December, while the rate in the United States remained stable at 4.4 per cent. The OECD cautioned that comparisons with the April 2020 peak should be interpreted carefully, reflecting differences in how temporarily laid-off workers are classified across countries.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (SG)