OECD Unemployment Rate Hits 4.9% in July 2026

Sep 11, 2026

66 min

Sep 11, 2026 00:30

OECD unemployment rate at 4.9% in July 2026, its lowest level in a year

## Unemployment Trends

The unemployment rate within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) dropped to 4.9% in July 2026, marking its lowest point in a year. This decline from June's 5.0% brings the rate close to the historic low of 4.8% seen in June 2023. The total number of unemployed individuals in the OECD decreased to 34.7 million.

## Regional Variations

In July, the European Union's unemployment rate held steady at 6.1%, while the euro area recorded 6.4%. Japan, Mexico, and Korea maintained rates below 3.0%, the lowest among OECD nations. Conversely, Finland and Spain experienced double-digit unemployment rates, with Finland significantly above its historic low from nearly two decades ago.

## Youth Unemployment

Youth unemployment in the OECD, for those aged 15-24, fell by 0.2 percentage points to 11.0% in July. Despite this decrease, it remains significantly higher than the 4.2% rate for those aged 25 and over. Notably, 30 OECD countries reported double-digit youth unemployment, with rates over 20% in Chile and several European Union countries.

## Gender Disparities

The unemployment rates for women and men in the OECD remained stable at 5.1% and 4.8%, respectively, maintaining a gender gap of 0.3 percentage points. This gap was consistent across the European Union and the euro area, while in the G7, it remained at -0.3 percentage points.

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