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Unemployment Rate Calculator

Work out unemployment rate instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Unemployment Rate Calculator

Unemployment is measured against the labour force — employed plus actively seeking — not the whole working-age population. That makes participation rate essential context: unemployment can fall simply because discouraged workers stop looking, which the broad rate corrects for.

Formulas

Labour force

Labour force = Employed + Unemployed actively seeking

Unemployment rate

Rate % = Unemployed / Labour force x 100

Participation rate

LFPR % = Labour force / Working-age population x 100

Worked example

With the default values below, Unemployment Rate Calculator returns Unemployment rate of 4.84%. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Unemployed persons actively seeking work
29,000,000
Employed persons
570,000,000
Working-age population
1,050,000,000
Discouraged workers not currently seeking
12,000,000

Results

Unemployment rate
4.84%
Labour force participation rate
57.05%
Broad rate including discouraged workers
6.71%
Labour force
599,000,000

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Labour force
  3. 3Unemployment rate
  4. 4Participation rate
  5. 5Unemployment rate= 4.84
  6. 6Labour force participation rate= 57.05
  7. 7Broad rate including discouraged workers= 6.71
  8. 8Labour force= 599,000,000

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
  • Indicative estimate only. Fees, entitlements, limits and formulas vary by jurisdiction, statute, policy wording and the facts of the case. This is not legal, tax, insurance or financial advice — confirm with a qualified professional or the relevant authority.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Indicative estimate only. Fees, entitlements, limits and formulas vary by jurisdiction, statute, policy wording and the facts of the case. This is not legal, tax, insurance or financial advice — confirm with a qualified professional or the relevant authority.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can unemployment fall while employment also falls?

Because people leaving the labour force are counted as neither employed nor unemployed. The headline rate improves while the situation worsens.

What is the broad or U-6 style measure?

It adds discouraged and marginally attached workers, and often the involuntarily part-time, giving a fuller picture of labour underutilisation.

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Unemployment Rate Calculator – Calculate Unemployment rate