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US vs Japan Unemployment
United States moved above Japan in 1999. In 1991 Japan stood at roughly 30% of United States’s Unemployment; today the figure is about 58%, and the pair was closest in 2001 (106%).
| Year | United States | Japan | Japan as % of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.8% | 2.06% | 30% |
| 1970 | 6.8% | 2.06% | 30% |
| 1980 | 6.8% | 2.06% | 30% |
| 1990 | 6.8% | 2.06% | 30% |
| 2000 | 3.99% | 4.75% | 119% |
| 2010 | 9.63% | 5.1% | 53% |
| 2020 | 8.06% | 2.81% | 35% |
| 2025 | 4.2% | 2.45% | 58% |
Frequently asked questions
When did United States move above Japan in Unemployment?
In 1999. United States’s published Unemployment rose above Japan’s that year.
How do United States and Japan compare today?
United States is ahead: 4.2% against 2.45% — the trailing economy stands at about 58% 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: