In 2023, China's labor force amounted to approximately 772.2 million people. The labor force in China indicated a general decreasing trend in recent years. As both the size of the population in working age and the share of the population participating in the labor market are declining, this downward trend will most likely persist in the foreseeable future. A country’s labor force is defined as the total number of employable people and incorporates both the employed and the unemployed population. Population challenges for China One of the reasons for the shrinking labor force is the Chinese one-child policy, which had been in effect for nearly 40 years, until it was revoked in 2016. The controversial policy was intended to improve people’s living standards and optimize resource distribution through controlling the size of China’s expanding population. Nonetheless, the policy also led to negative impacts on the labor market, pension system and other societal aspects. Today, China is becoming an aging society. The increase of elderly people and the lack of young people will become a big challenge for China in this century. Employment in China Despite the slowing down of economic growth, China’s unemployment rate has sustained a relatively low rate. Complete production chains and a well-educated labor force make China’s labor market one of the most attractive in the world. Working conditions and salaries in China have also improved significantly over the past years. Due to China’s leading position in terms of talent in the technology industry, the country is now attracting investment from some of the world’s leading companies in the high-tech sector.

In 2024, the total labor force in Japan was composed of approximately **** million people. The labor force increased from about **** million in the previous year. Women in the labor forceDue to its demographical circumstances, Japan has a relatively low unemployment rate. As a consequence, companies employ different strategies to secure labor. The employment of women is seen as one of the possible solutions to the labor shortages. In recent years, women have increasingly joined the labor force in Japan, which is reflected by a growth of the female employment rate. This growing participation in the labor market is partly underpinned by an expansion of the service sector. Additional workforceNext to women, the growing number of foreign workers, as well as higher participation of the elderly are also worth mentioning. A breakdown of the labor force by age groups showed that in 2024, close to *** million people were continuing to participate in the labor market beyond the set retirement age of 60 or 65 years.

Graph and download economic data for Not in Labor Force (LNS15000000) from Jan 1975 to Jun 2025 about 16 years +, labor force, labor, household survey, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Labor Force Participation Rate for North Carolina (LBSSA37) from Jan 1976 to Jun 2025 about participation, NC, labor force, labor, rate, and USA.

The statistic shows the distribution of the workforce across economic sectors in the United States from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, 1.57 percent of the workforce in the US was employed in agriculture, 19.34 percent in industry and 79.09 percent in services. See U.S. GDP per capita for more information. American workforce A significant majority of the American labor force is employed in the services sector, while the other sectors, industry and agriculture, account for less than 20 percent of the US economy. However, the United States is among the top exporters of agricultural goods – the total value of US agricultural exports has more than doubled since 2000. A severe plunge in the employment rate in the US since 1990 shows that the American economy is still in turmoil after the economic crisis of 2008. Unemployment is still significantly higher than it was before the crisis, and most of those unemployed and looking for a job are younger than 25; youth unemployment is a severe problem for the United States, many college or university graduates struggle to find a job right away. Still, the number of employees in the US since 1990 has been increasing slowly, with a slight setback during and after the recession. Both the number of full-time and of part-time workers have increased during the same period. When looking at the distribution of jobs among men and women, both project the general downward trend. A comparison of the employment rate of men in the US since 1990 and the employment rate of women since 1990 shows that more men tend to be employed than women.

Graph and download economic data for Labor Force Participation Rate for Iowa (LBSSA19) from Jan 1976 to Jun 2025 about participation, IA, labor force, labor, rate, and USA.

The graph shows the number of employed people in China from 2014 to 2024. In 2024, the workforce in China amounted to around 734.4 million people. This marked an annual decrease of six million and is in line with a general downward trend since 2014. Workforce in China China’s total population has been declining since 2022 and dropped by 1.4 million annually to around 1.408 billion as of the end of 2024. This development is also reflected in the number of people in working age which has been shrinking since 2014. The labor force of China, which refers to the population aged 16 and over and capable of working, has been declining since 2016 and ranged at around 772.2 million in 2023. Out of the total number of employed people in 2023, about 470.3 million people were employed in urban areas, while 270.1 million people were working in rural areas. Distribution of the workforce The share of the workforce employed in the primary sector declined significantly from 36.7 percent in 2010 to 22.8 percent in 2023, only interrupted in 2022 by effects related to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the percentage of people employed in the primary sector decreased, the tertiary sector gained importance. As of 2023, about 29.1 percent of Chinese workers were employed in secondary and 48.1 percent in tertiary industries. The share of the workforce employed in the secondary sector increased until 2012 but decreased thereafter due to China's shift towards a service driven economy.

In 2023, about ***** million people in China were estimated by the UN to be at a working age between 15 and 64 years. After a steep increase in the second half of the 20th century, the size of the working-age population reached a turning point in 2015 and figures started to decrease thereafter. Changes in the working-age population China's demographic development is characterized by a rapid change from a high fertility rate to a low one. This has caused the development of an arc shaped graph of the working age population: quickly increasing numbers before 2010, a gradual turn with a minor second peak until around 2027, and a steep decline thereafter. The expected second maximum of the graph results from the abolishment of birth control measures after 2010, which proved less successful in increasing birth figures than expected. The same turn can be seen in the number of people eligible for work, with an accelerated downturn in the years of the coronavirus pandemic, where many people left the labor force. It is very likely that the size of the labor force will rebound slightly in the upcoming years, but the extent of the rebound, which parallels the second maximum of the working age population, might be limited. China's labor market China's labor market was once defined by its abundant and cheap labor force, but competition for talent has been getting increasingly tense in recent years. This development is very likely to further intensify and extend itself into the less skilled ranks of the labor market. As the number of people who fall within the retirement age group is increasing and adding to the burden on the economy, steps to keep labor participation high are necessary. Raising the retirement age and providing incentives to stay in the labor force, are measures being implemented by Chinese government. Strategies to increase labor productivity would be ideal to mitigate the pressure on the Chinese economy, however, realizing such strategies is challenging.

Graph and download economic data for Civilian Labor Force in Massachusetts (MALFN) from Jan 1976 to Apr 2025 about MA, civilian, labor force, labor, and USA.

Taiwan Unemployment: ES: Establishment Closed or Business Shrunk data was reported at 101.000 Person th in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 102.000 Person th for Aug 2018. Taiwan Unemployment: ES: Establishment Closed or Business Shrunk data is updated monthly, averaging 79.000 Person th from Jan 1978 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 489 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 355.000 Person th in Jun 2009 and a record low of 3.000 Person th in Jun 1980. Taiwan Unemployment: ES: Establishment Closed or Business Shrunk data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Executive Yuan. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Taiwan – Table TW.G026: Labour Force Survey: Unemployment: By Reason of Unemployment.

Graph and download economic data for Employed Persons in Lenawee County, MI (LAUCN260910000000005) from Jan 1990 to Jun 2025 about Lenawee County, MI; MI; household survey; employment; persons; and USA.

Businesses or organizations anticipated to shrink office locations due to the workforce teleworking, by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), business employment size, type of business, business activity and majority ownership, third quarter of 2021.

The employment indicator is a sentiment indicator for the Dutch private sector regarding the total employment of enterprises. When assessing the results, it can be assumed that the more optimistic or pessimistic the entrepreneurs are, the more the value of business confidence will deviate positively or negatively from the zero line. A positive figure for the indicator indicates an expansion of the workforce, a negative figure indicates a shrinking workforce.

The employment indicator in the total Dutch private sector is a weighted average of the confidence indicators of the underlying sectors/industries, which together form a representative reflection of the Dutch business community from an economic viewpoint.

The aggregation ‘all enterprises (no finance or energy)’ includes all available branches questioned in the Business Survey Netherlands. Because not every branch is questioned monthly, this aggregation will only have data available for the first month of each quarter. The aggregation ‘C industry, H-S services and 45+47’ includes all monthly questioned branches and serves as a subtotal of the monthly questionnaire.

Data available from: January 2012.

Status of the figures: The figures in this table are definite.

Changes as of June 27th 2025: Figures of June 2025 have been added.

When will new figures be published? Figures of July are expected to be published the 6th of August 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Employment Level - Native Born (LNU02073413) from Jan 2007 to Jun 2025 about native born, 16 years +, household survey, employment, and USA.

Businesses or organizations anticipated to shrink office locations due to the workforce teleworking, by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), business employment size, type of business, business activity and majority ownership, third quarter of 2021.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.To collect authoritative data on the work men did in the agricultural industry in the Summer of 1970 and on their potential for taking on new enterprises. To discover whether the shrinking labour force could achieve the expansion programme envisaged by the Economic Development Committee. Main Topics: Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions Number of hours worked (weekly average over the year), proportion of working time spent on various tasks and activities, whether first job was in agriculture/horticulture, type of training/apprenticeships, formal training in agricultural or non-agricultural subjects, previous employment, sources of influence and advice for entry into agriculture, medical attention received for illness/injury attributed to work. Job satisfaction, likes and dislikes of working on the land, future plans. Background Variables Age, sex, marital status, qualifications, farm. Farm: type, size, crop acreage and number of workers.

Graph and download economic data for All Employees, Government (USGOVT) from Jan 1939 to Jun 2025 about establishment survey, government, employment, and USA.

As of October 2023, around **** percent of foreign workers in Japan were **********. ********** workers therefore constituted the largest group among the increasing number of foreign workers in the country. ******* workers came in second, accounting for **** percent of foreign workers. Rising number of foreign workers The number of foreign nationals working in Japan rose by **** percent in 2023, topping *** million for the first time. Despite the significant increase in people seeking work in Japan over the past decade, foreign nationals only comprised around ***** percent of the total labor force. Businesses in need of foreign workers Amid a shrinking workforce and severe labor shortages in some industries, many employers are dependent on workers from abroad to secure their business. Over ******* businesses in Japan were reported to employ foreign workers, an increase of *** percent compared to 2023. Manufacturing, services, and wholesale and retail together accounted for over ** percent of the number of workers employed. Over ********* of foreign workers were working for small businesses which employed less than 30 people.

The number of foreign nationals working in Japan amounted to around *** million people as of October 2024. It was the second time the number of foreign workers exceeded the *** million mark. Foreign workers in Japan The number of foreign workers in Japan has risen considerably within the last decade. Over *********** of workers were employed in Tokyo Prefecture, Japan’s capital and economic and financial center. In terms of the number of people employed, the ************* industry continued to be the most important employer of foreign labor. The majority of foreign workers came from countries in ****, with workers from ******* making up the largest share at around ** percent. Population decline and severe labor shortages Just a decade ago, the number of foreign workers was below *** million. That was less than *** percent of a population of over *** million. Today, amid its aging population and a shrinking labor force, Japan is facing severe labor shortages in some industries. A growing number of businesses are reliant on foreign labor, and the government has recently announced a number of policy amendments to attract more workers to Japan. This includes plans to expand the specified skilled workers program and to abolish and replace the controversial technical intern training program.

The fertility rates have fallen in all five Nordic countries over the last years. However, in 2021, the birth rates increased again in all five Nordics countries, besides in Sweden, where the fertility rate stayed the same. This can be explained by the higher number of babies born during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, Iceland had the highest fertility rate of the Nordic countries, with *** children born per woman in reproductive age. The global trend of decreasing fertility The Nordics are not the only region with decreasing fertility rates. Globally, fertility rates have been on a steady decline since 2000. While lower-income countries have had more significant declines, they still have more children born per woman than higher-income countries. In 2000, almost * children were born per woman in low-income countries, decreasing to **** in 2021. By comparison, nearly **** children were born per woman in high-income countries, falling slightly to **** by 2021. Overall, in 2023, Niger, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo had the highest fertility rates, while Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore had the lowest fertility rates. Impacts of low fertility Greater access to education, challenges between work-life balance, and the costs of raising children can all be linked to falling fertility rates. However, this decline is not without consequences, and many countries are facing social and economic challenges because of aging and shrinking populations. For example, in Japan, where nearly ** percent of the country is aged 65 or older, an increasing proportion of the government expenditure is going towards social security benefits. Moreover, the very low unemployment rate in Japan can partially be attributed to having a shrinking labor force and fewer people to support the economy.