As of 2023, Italy had the highest unemployment rate of the G7 countries, reaching 7.6 percent. Especially in Canada and the United States, the unemployment rate rose sharply in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Japan had the lowest unemployment rate at just 2.6 percent. Slowed growth of the Japanese economy and society While Japan had the lowest unemployment rate, it also experienced a slow wage growth. Wages in Japan are known to be stagnant, with many workers going years without experiencing any wage growth in their roles. One contributing factor to its low unemployment rate is its shrinking population. As the population continues to decrease, there is less competition for work. However, this introduces other problems for Japanese society, as it also has a rapidly aging population that requires long-term care. Unemployment in Italy: The divide between Northern and Southern Italy Not only does Italy have the highest unemployment rate out of the G7, but it has the second-highest unemployment rate of Europe's largest economies. Furthermore, Italy has significant levels of youth unemployment, with the majority of youth unemployment lying within southern regions of the country. The economic divide between Northern and Southern Italy is significant, and can be attributed to differences in industralization and economic diversification. The prominence of this divide has had wider impacts on Italian politics and society.

Italy had the highest youth unemployment rate of the G7 countries every year between 2000 and 2022. It was especially high in the years immediately after the euro crisis, when it reached over 40 percent. By 2022, it had fallen to 23 percent. On the other hand, Japan had the lowest youth unemployment rate at only four percent.

The average for 2025 based on 7 countries was 5.09 percent. The highest value was in France: 7.7 percent and the lowest value was in Japan: 2.57 percent. The indicator is available from 1980 to 2030. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

France had the highest male unemployment rate of the G7 countries in 2023, standing at 7.5 percent. Japan had the lowest at only 2.8 percent. Except for an increase in the years after the outbreak of COVID-19, the male unemployment rate has generally decreased in the G7 since 2014. Whereas France had the highest male unemployment rate in 2023, Italy had the highest among women.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Monthly Unemployment Female: 15 Years or over for G7 (G7LFHUTTFESTSAQ) from Q1 1991 to Q1 2025 about G7, females, harmonized, labor force, labor, and unemployment.

Of the four largest G7 and BRICS economies respectively, India and Brazil consistently had the highest monthly unemployment rates, while Russia and Japan had the lowest.

Female unemployment rates in the G7 countries varied between 2.3 percent in Japan and 8.8 percent in Italy in 2023. Italy's female unemployment rate was especially high immediately after the euro crisis, reaching nearly 14 percent in 2014. Meanwhile, Japan's female unemployment rate continues to decrease along with decreases in the Japanese population and fertility rate.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Monthly Unemployment Rate Male: From 15 to 24 Years for G7 (G7LRHU24MASTSAM) from Jan 2004 to Apr 2025 about G7, 15 to 24 years, males, harmonized, labor force, labor, and unemployment.

With the collapse of the U.S. housing market and the subsequent financial crisis on Wall Street in 2007 and 2008, economies across the globe began to enter into deep recessions. What had started out as a crisis centered on the United States quickly became global in nature, as it became apparent that not only had the economies of other advanced countries (grouped together as the G7) become intimately tied to the U.S. financial system, but that many of them had experienced housing and asset price bubbles similar to that in the U.S.. The United Kingdom had experienced a huge inflation of housing prices since the 1990s, while Eurozone members (such as Germany, France and Italy) had financial sectors which had become involved in reckless lending to economies on the periphery of the EU, such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Other countries, such as Japan, were hit heavily due their export-led growth models which suffered from the decline in international trade. Unemployment during the Great Recession As business and consumer confidence crashed, credit markets froze, and international trade contracted, the unemployment rate in the most advanced economies shot up. While four to five percent is generally considered to be a healthy unemployment rate, nearing full employment in the economy (when any remaining unemployment is not related to a lack of consumer demand), many of these countries experienced rates at least double that, with unemployment in the United States peaking at almost 10 percent in 2010. In large countries, unemployment rates of this level meant millions or tens of millions of people being out of work, which led to political pressures to stimulate economies and create jobs. By 2012, many of these countries were seeing declining unemployment rates, however, in France and Italy rates of joblessness continued to increase as the Euro crisis took hold. These countries suffered from having a monetary policy which was too tight for their economies (due to the ECB controlling interest rates) and fiscal policy which was constrained by EU debt rules. Left with the option of deregulating their labor markets and pursuing austerity policies, their unemployment rates remained over 10 percent well into the 2010s. Differences in labor markets The differences in unemployment rates at the peak of the crisis (2009-2010) reflect not only the differences in how economies were affected by the downturn, but also the differing labor market institutions and programs in the various countries. Countries with more 'liberalized' labor markets, such as the United States and United Kingdom experienced sharp jumps in their unemployment rate due to the ease at which employers can lay off workers in these countries. When the crisis subsided in these countries, however, their unemployment rates quickly began to drop below those of the other countries, due to their more dynamic labor markets which make it easier to hire workers when the economy is doing well. On the other hand, countries with more 'coordinated' labor market institutions, such as Germany and Japan, experiences lower rates of unemployment during the crisis, as programs such as short-time work, job sharing, and wage restraint agreements were used to keep workers in their jobs. While these countries are less likely to experience spikes in unemployment during crises, the highly regulated nature of their labor markets mean that they are slower to add jobs during periods of economic prosperity.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Monthly Unemployment Total: From 15 to 24 Years for G7 (G7LFHU24TTSTSAM) from Jan 1991 to Apr 2025 about G7, 15 to 24 years, harmonized, labor force, labor, and unemployment.

United States - Labour Force Survey - quarterly rates: Harmonised unemployment - monthly rates: Total: Males for G7 was 4.39538 Percentage in October of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Labour Force Survey - quarterly rates: Harmonised unemployment - monthly rates: Total: Males for G7 reached a record high of 8.93573 in October of 2009 and a record low of 4.02917 in October of 2022. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Labour Force Survey - quarterly rates: Harmonised unemployment - monthly rates: Total: Males for G7 - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on May of 2025.

Group of Seven (G7) - Harmonized Unemployment: Aged 15-24: All Persons for the Group of Seven (DISCONTINUED) was 10.70% in July of 2017, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Group of Seven (G7) - Harmonized Unemployment: Aged 15-24: All Persons for the Group of Seven (DISCONTINUED) reached a record high of 17.70 in January of 2010 and a record low of 10.60 in April of 2017. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Group of Seven (G7) - Harmonized Unemployment: Aged 15-24: All Persons for the Group of Seven (DISCONTINUED) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

United States - Labour Force Survey - quarterly rates: Harmonised unemployment - monthly rates: Aged 25 and over: All persons for G7 was 3.60548 Percentage in March of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Labour Force Survey - quarterly rates: Harmonised unemployment - monthly rates: Aged 25 and over: All persons for G7 reached a record high of 7.93556 in April of 2020 and a record low of 3.29706 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Labour Force Survey - quarterly rates: Harmonised unemployment - monthly rates: Aged 25 and over: All persons for G7 - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Monthly Unemployment Rate Male: 15 Years or over for G7 (G7LRHUTTMASTSAM) from Jan 1991 to Apr 2025 about G7, males, harmonized, labor force, labor, and unemployment.

Group of Seven (G7) - Total Harmonized Unemployment: Males for the Group of Seven (DISCONTINUED) was 10108000.00000 Persons in September of 2017, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Group of Seven (G7) - Total Harmonized Unemployment: Males for the Group of Seven (DISCONTINUED) reached a record high of 17862000.00000 in October of 2009 and a record low of 10108000.00000 in September of 2017. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Group of Seven (G7) - Total Harmonized Unemployment: Males for the Group of Seven (DISCONTINUED) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Since the oil price shock in 1974 unemployment increased significantly and also did not really decline in periods of economic upswings in Europe. This is especially the case for the countries of the European Union; therefore we face a special need for explanation. Looking at the member states on finds considerable differences. Since 1977 the unemployment rate within the EU is higher than the average unemployment rate of all OECD countries. The economic upswing in the second half of the 80s relaxed the labor market but nevertheless the unemployment rate remained on a high level. This study deals with the development of unemployment between 1974 and 1993 in four different G7 countries: Germany, France, Great Britain and Italy.

Besides the common trend of an increasing unemployment rate, there are significantly different developments within the four countries. The analysis is divided in two parts: the first part looks at the reasons for the increase in unemployment in the considered countries; the second part aims to explain the difference between the developments of unemployment during economic cycles in the different countries.

After the description of similarities and differences of labor markets in the four countries it follows a long term analysis based on annual data as well as a short and medium term analysis on quarterly data. This is due to the fact that short and medium term developments are mainly influenced by cyclical economic developments but long term developments are mainly influenced by other factors like demographical and structural changes. A concrete question within this framework is if an increase in production potential can contribute to a decrease in unemployment.

For the long term analysis among others the Hysteresis-hypothesis (Hysteresis = Greek: to remain; denotes the remaining effect; in this context: remaining of unemployment) used for the explanation of the persistence of a high unemployment rate.

According to this approach consisting unemployment is barely decreased after economic recovery despite full utilization of capacity. According to the Hysteresis-hypothesis there are two reasons for this. The first reason is that for long term unemployed the abilities to work and the qualification level decreased, their human capital is partly devalued. The second reason is that employees give up wage restraint, because they do not fear unemployment anymore and therefore enforce higher real wages. Besides economic recovery companies are not willing to hire long term unemployed with a lower expected productivity for the higher established tariff wages. In the context of the empirical investigation a multiple explanatory approach is chosen which takes supply side and demand side factors into consideration.

The short and medium term analysis refers to Okun´s law (=an increase in the unemployment rate is connected with a decrease of the GDP; if the unemployment rate stays unchanged, the GDP grows with 3% p.a.) and aims to analyze more detailed the reactions of unemployment to economic cycles. A geometrical lag-model is compared with a lag-model ager Almon. This should ensure a precise as possible analysis of the Okun´s relations and coefficients.

Register of tables in HISTAT:

A.: Unemployment in the European G7 countries B.: Analysis of unemployment in the Federal Republic of Germany C.: Basic numbers: International comparison

A.: Unemployment in the European G7 countries A.1. Determinates of unemployment in the EU, Germany (1974-1993) A.2. Determinates of unemployment in the EU, France (1974-1993) A.3. Determinates of unemployment in the EU, Great Britain (1974-1993) A.4. Determinates of unemployment in the EU, Italy (1974-1993)

B: Analysis of unemployment in the Federal Republic of Germany B.1. Growth of unemployment in the Federal Republic of Germany (1984-1991) B.2. Output and unemployment in the Federal Republic of Germany (1961-1990)

C: Basic numbers: International comparison C.1. Unemployment in EU countries, the USA, Japan and Switzerland (1960-1996) C.2. Gainful employments in EU countries, the USA, Japan and Switzerland (after inland and residency concept) (1960-1996) C.3. Employees in EU countries, the USA and Japan (1960-1996) C.4. Population in EU countries, the USA and Japan (1960-1996)

Group of Seven (G7) - Harmonized Unemployment: Total: Females for the Group of Seven (DISCONTINUED) was 4.80% in September of 2017, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Group of Seven (G7) - Harmonized Unemployment: Total: Females for the Group of Seven (DISCONTINUED) reached a record high of 7.70 in October of 2009 and a record low of 4.80 in September of 2017. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Group of Seven (G7) - Harmonized Unemployment: Total: Females for the Group of Seven (DISCONTINUED) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Group of Seven (G7) - Harmonized Unemployment: Aged 15-24: All for the Group of Seven (DISCONTINUED) was 4444000.00000 Persons in September of 2017, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Group of Seven (G7) - Harmonized Unemployment: Aged 15-24: All for the Group of Seven (DISCONTINUED) reached a record high of 7625000.00000 in April of 2010 and a record low of 4424000.00000 in August of 2017. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Group of Seven (G7) - Harmonized Unemployment: Aged 15-24: All for the Group of Seven (DISCONTINUED) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Monthly Unemployment Rate Female: 15 Years or over for G7 (G7LRHUTTFESTSAM) from Jan 1991 to Apr 2025 about G7, females, harmonized, labor force, labor, and unemployment.

United States - Labour Force Survey - quarterly levels: Harmonised unemployment - monthly levels: Aged 15-24: All persons for G7 was 4545000.00000 Persons in March of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Labour Force Survey - quarterly levels: Harmonised unemployment - monthly levels: Aged 15-24: All persons for G7 reached a record high of 7774700.00000 in April of 2020 and a record low of 3646600.00000 in April of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Labour Force Survey - quarterly levels: Harmonised unemployment - monthly levels: Aged 15-24: All persons for G7 - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on May of 2025.