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US vs Australia Unemployment
United States moved above Australia in 2003. In 1991 Australia stood at roughly 141% of United States’s Unemployment; today the figure is about 97%, and the pair was closest in 2023 (101%).
| Year | United States | Australia | Australia as % of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.8% | 9.59% | 141% |
| 1970 | 6.8% | 9.59% | 141% |
| 1980 | 6.8% | 9.59% | 141% |
| 1990 | 6.8% | 9.59% | 141% |
| 2000 | 3.99% | 6.29% | 158% |
| 2010 | 9.63% | 5.21% | 54% |
| 2020 | 8.06% | 6.39% | 79% |
| 2025 | 4.2% | 4.09% | 97% |
Frequently asked questions
When did United States move above Australia in Unemployment?
In 2003. United States’s published Unemployment rose above Australia’s that year.
How do United States and Australia compare today?
United States is ahead: 4.2% against 4.09% — the trailing economy stands at about 97% of the leader.
Are these Unemployment figures nominal or adjusted?
The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, exactly as the World Bank publishes it; movements are percentage points, not percent.
Full series
Every published year for both economies, with charts, downloads and citations: