Manila:OECD employment and labour force participation rates hit record highs in the second quarter of 2026, registering 70.4% and 74.2%, respectively. Despite these achievements, both rates experienced modest increases of 0.1 percentage point or less from the previous quarter, indicating overall stability.
According to Emirates News Agency, when compared to the same quarter in 2025, the rates showed minimal change. Employment and labour force participation rates were at or near record highs in nine and thirteen OECD countries, respectively. Additionally, the OECD unemployment rate remained steady in August 2026 at 5.0%, a slight 0.2 percentage point rise from its record low in June 2023.
Employment rates varied significantly across OECD countries, ranging from 54.8% in Turkey to over 80% in Iceland, Japan, and the Netherlands. Notable year-on-year increases were observed in Colombia and Portugal, with rises of 1.5 and 1.3 percentage points, respectively.
Among different population groups, women's employment and labour force participation rates increased by 0.2 percentage points in the second quarter of 2026, while the rates for men remained stable. By age group, employment and labour force participation rates rose by 0.4 and 0.2 percentage points among older workers aged 55-64, whereas they remained stable for prime-age workers aged 25-54 and young individuals aged 15-24.
In August 2026, unemployment rates in 20 OECD countries, as well as in the European Union (6.1%) and the euro area (6.4%), showed little change compared to July.
