How does the U.S. unemployment rate compare with other industrial countries?
In the 1970s, unemployment rates were high in the United States compared to other industrial countries. In the next two decades, however, the United States improved its relative position. In contrast, most European countries experienced an increase in their unemployment rates during the 1980s that persisted into the 1990s. In 2006, the U.S. unemployment rate of 4.6 percent was well below the rates in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In contrast, the U.S. rate was higher than Japan’s rate of 4.2 percent and the Netherlands’s rate of 4.4 percent. Reference: Unemployment Rates in 10 Countries, Civilian Labor Force Basis, Approximating U.S. Concepts, Seasonally Adjusted. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Productivity and Technology, updated monthly. International Comparisons of Annual Labor Force Statistics, 10 Countries, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Productivity and Technology, updated semi-annually.
