The unemployment rate (defined as the proportion of adults 25-64 years old who are without work but are seeking and currently available for work as a percentage of the total labor force) is an important indicator of the overall health of the labor market. Combatting unemployment is a key priority in the United States, as in most industrialized countries; and some researchers suggest that one means of improving job opportunities is through more formal education. With the continuing advancements in technology, less-well-educated individuals may become more and more vulnerable to failure in labor market competition. By examining the unemployment rates for persons aged 25-64 at various levels of education attainment, Indicator 19 highlights the relationship between formal education and employment.
Sidebar: Alternative unemployment measures
*For further explanation of education levels, see the sidebar entitled ISCED levels of education
Table 19: Unemployment rates,1 by highest level of education attainment for persons 25-64 years of age and country: 1992
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lower Higher Higher secondary Upper education education ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Country and below secondary (nonuniversity) (university) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ G-72 Canada 15.1 9.7 9.0 5.2 France 12.1 7.4 4.6 4.4 Germany 8.9 6.4 4.5 3.7 Italy 7.3 8.2 (3) 6.0 United Kingdom 12.3 8.3 3.3 3.6 United States 13.5 7.2 4.6 2.9 Other Australia 11.2 8.9 5.7 4.4 Austria 5.6 3.2 (3) 1.3 Belgium 13.0 4.7 2.3 2.2 Denmark 15.6 9.2 5.8 4.8 Finland 14.9 12.1 5.7 3.4 Ireland 19.8 9.3 5.8 3.3 Netherlands 8.0 4.7 (3) 3.9 New Zealand 11.2 7.5 4.6 3.7 Norway 7.1 4.9 2.8 1.8 Portugal 5.3 4.5 1.9 1.8 Spain 16.0 14.1 12.5 9.9 Sweden 4.6 4.3 2.3 2.0 Switzerland 3.5 2.2 2.3 3.0 Turkey 5.1 6.7 (3) 4.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: See supplemental note to Indicator 19 for details on indicator calculation for Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
SOURCE: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Center for Educational Research and Innovation, International Indicators Project, 1995.
Figure 19: Unemployment rates for 25- to 64-year-olds, by highest
level of education attainment and G-7 country:1,2 1992
1/ No data available for Japan.
2/ Countries are sorted in descending order according to percentage point
difference in unemployment rate between highest and lowest level of education
reported.
SOURCE: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Center for Educational Research and Innovation, International Indicators Project, 1995.
See supplemental notes to Indicator 11.