Labor force — all countries

Labor force — OECD

Labor force in the OECD in 2025 — 709,911,432 people. Since 1990, the indicator has risen by 37.4%.

2025 710M people +0.4% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 710M people2025
Period minimum 516M people1990

Trend over time

1990–2025 · people

Labor force — OECD, 1990–2025500M550M600M650M700M750M19901994199820022006201020142018202220251990: 516,494,733 people1991: 523,539,743 people1992: 528,610,099 people1993: 531,791,898 people1994: 538,967,155 people1995: 544,217,901 people1996: 550,852,890 people1997: 558,124,914 people1998: 563,000,475 people1999: 568,445,413 people2000: 572,772,220 people2001: 576,692,280 people2002: 581,559,644 people2003: 586,883,275 people2004: 591,527,316 people2005: 599,139,295 people2006: 606,958,877 people2007: 612,606,020 people2008: 619,561,705 people2009: 624,077,515 people2010: 628,040,456 people2011: 632,069,251 people2012: 638,695,469 people2013: 643,096,747 people2014: 647,130,900 people2015: 652,520,444 people2016: 659,300,057 people2017: 666,083,669 people2018: 673,189,147 people2019: 680,315,221 people2020: 668,480,808 people2021: 678,624,339 people2022: 689,681,032 people2023: 700,386,143 people2024: 707,055,404 people2025: 709,911,432 people
Change over the period: +193M (+37.45%) Average annual rate: 0.91 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: OECD

OECD 710M people
World 3.74B people
Labor force — OECD, by year OECD All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 710M +2.86M +0.4%
2024 707M +6.67M +0.95%
2023 700M +10.71M +1.55%
2022 690M +11.06M +1.63%
2021 679M +10.14M +1.52%
2020 668M −11.83M −1.74%
2019 680M +7.13M +1.06%
2018 673M +7.11M +1.07%
2017 666M +6.78M +1.03%
2016 659M +6.78M +1.04%
2015 653M +5.39M +0.83%
2014 647M +4.03M +0.63%
2013 643M +4.4M +0.69%
2012 639M +6.63M +1.05%
2011 632M +4.03M +0.64%
2010 628M +3.96M +0.64%
2009 624M +4.52M +0.73%
2008 620M +6.96M +1.14%
2007 613M +5.65M +0.93%
2006 607M +7.82M +1.31%
2005 599M +7.61M +1.29%
2004 592M +4.64M +0.79%
2003 587M +5.32M +0.92%
2002 582M +4.87M +0.84%
2001 577M +3.92M +0.68%
2000 573M +4.33M +0.76%
1999 568M +5.44M +0.97%
1998 563M +4.88M +0.87%
1997 558M +7.27M +1.32%
1996 551M +6.63M +1.22%
1995 544M +5.25M +0.97%
1994 539M +7.18M +1.35%
1993 532M +3.18M +0.6%
1992 529M +5.07M +0.97%
1991 524M +7.05M +1.36%
1990 516M

About the indicator

The economically active population — everyone aged 15 and over who either works or actively looks for work. It covers the employed, the unemployed and first-time job seekers; it leaves out students, homemakers and other people who do not offer their labor on the market. The size of the labor force is the basic constraint on the growth potential of an economy.

Source: ILOSTAT (ILO), license CC BY 4.0.