Work

LABOUR FORCE
Participation rate of persons aged 15 years and over
Reference
year
Economically active population(b)(c)(d)
Reference
year
Total
Males
Females(b)
Country(a)
'000
%
%
%
Australia
2003
10,066.5
2001
74.9
83.3
66.5
Canada
2003
17,046.9
2001
77.5
83.5
71.5
China
2001
737,060.0
1995
79.8
85.6
73.7
France
2003
27,125.0
2001
68.3
74.7
62.1
Greece
2002
4,369.0
2001
63.6
78.4
49.7
Hong Kong (SAR of China)
2003
3,500.9
2001
61.4
72.9
50.7
Indonesia
1999
95,793.2
1999
67.9
84.6
51.5
Italy
2003
24,229.0
2001
61.7
75.6
47.8
Japan
2003
66,670.0
2001
78.3
92.2
64.3
Korea (Republic of)
2003
22,917.0
2001
68.2
80.6
55.9
Malaysia
2000
9,616.1
2000
65.5
83.3
46.7
New Zealand
2003
2,015.1
2001
77.3
85.5
69.4
Papua New Guinea
2000
2,257.9
1995
77.4
86.9
67.0
Singapore
2003
2,152.0
2000
68.6
81.1
55.5
Sweden
2003
4,450.0
2001
80.5
83.1
77.9
United Kingdom
2003
29,234.8
2001
77.6
85.2
69.8
United States of America
2003
146,510.0
2001
79.2
86.2
72.5
Viet Nam
2003
42,124.7(e)
2001
71.9
76.0
68.2
(a) Care should be taken when comparing these data between countries. In any one year, different countries can be at different stages of the economic cycle which is a major influence on the labour force.
(b) “Economically active population are all those persons who during the specified reference period are classified either as employed or as unemployed”. Reference: International Labour Office, Year Book of Labour Statistics, 2003 p.3.
(c) Participation rates for women are frequently not comparable internationally since, in many countries, relatively large numbers of women assist on farms or in other family enterprises without pay. There are differences between countries in the criteria used to count economically active workers.
(d) For most countries the Economically active populations are aged 15 years and over. However, the age range varies for some countries: Malaysia - 15-64 years; Sweden - 16-64 years; China, UK and USA - 16 years and over. Definitions also vary in terms of the inclusion or exclusion of certain other segments of the population such as the armed forces.
(e) Economically active population for Viet Nam is calculated using Viet Nam’s Employment and Unemployment rates which are published in the International Labour Office, Year Book of Labour Statistics.

Source: International Labour Office, Year Book of Labour Statistics LABORITE <http://ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/portal/topics.htm>, accessed 2 April 2005; International Labour Office, Key Indicators of the Labour Market 2003.

EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT
Reference year
Employment
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
Country (a)
'000
'000
%
Australia
2003
9,459.2
607.4
6.0
Canada
2003
15,746.0
1,300.9
7.6
China(b)
2002
737,400.0
7,700.0
4.0
France
2003
24,485.0
2,640.4
9.7
Greece
2002
3,948.9
r420.1
9.6
Hong Kong (SAR of China)
2003
3,223.3
277.6
7.9
Indonesia
2002
91,647.0
9,132.1
9.1
Italy
2003
22,133.0
2,096.0
8.7
Japan
2003
63,160.0
3,500.0
5.3
Korea (Republic of)
2003
22,139.0
777.0
3.4
Malaysia
2003
9,869.7
369.8
3.6
New Zealand
2003
1,921.0
93.9
4.7
Papua New Guinea
. .
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
Singapore
2003
2,033.7
116.4
5.4
Sweden
2003
4,234.0
217.0
4.9
United Kingdom
2003
27,820.8
1,414.0
4.8
United States of America
2003
137,736.0
8,774.0
6.0
Viet Nam
2003
41,175.7
949.0
2.3
(a) Care should be taken when comparing these data between countries. In any one year, different countries can be at different stages of the economic cycle which is a major influence on employment and unemployment.
(b) Employment relates to total economy; unemployment relates to urban areas only.

Source: International Labour Office, Year Book of Labour Statistics LABORITE <http://ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/portal/topics.htm>, accessed 2 April 2005.



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