If Australia's unemployment rate worries you, be glad you’re not an HR manager in Mauritania – but which country has the fewest unemployed people?
Australia's unemployment rate has been up and down since it shot up from 4.2% to 5.6% in 2009, and it’s projected to continue to hold steady at a peak of 5.7%.
If that sounds high to you, be glad you’re not trying to find a job in Mauritania or Bosnia and Herzegovina where the unemployment rate sits 30.8% and 28.7% respectively.
A low unemployment rate can make things tougher for HR, creating essentially a seller’s market where potential candidates have more options and can therefore be pickier about the salary and benefits they want. Hiring managers in Singapore might wish the unemployment rate was a bit higher than 3.1%, especially when they have skilled roles to fill.
Australia's rate is lower than that of New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the US, but is still well above Singapore's table-leading 3.2%.
If that sounds high to you, be glad you’re not trying to find a job in Mauritania or Bosnia and Herzegovina where the unemployment rate sits 30.8% and 28.7% respectively.
A low unemployment rate can make things tougher for HR, creating essentially a seller’s market where potential candidates have more options and can therefore be pickier about the salary and benefits they want. Hiring managers in Singapore might wish the unemployment rate was a bit higher than 3.1%, especially when they have skilled roles to fill.
Australia's rate is lower than that of New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the US, but is still well above Singapore's table-leading 3.2%.
| Country | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 [Projected] |
| Singapore | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
| Japan | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4 |
| China | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.7 |
| Austria | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.9 |
| Germany | 5.9 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Australia | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.6 | 5.7 |
| New Zealand | 6.5 | 6.9 | 6.4 | 6.1 |
| Canada | 7.4 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7 |
| United Kingdom | 7.8 | 8 | 7.5 | 7.3 |
| United States | 9 | 8.2 | 7.5 | 7.2 |
| France | 9.2 | 9.9 | 10.5 | 10.9 |
| Ireland | 14.6 | 14.7 | 13.6 | 13.4 |
| Greece | 17.7 | 24.2 | 27.6 | 28.1 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 27.6 | 28.1 | 28.6 | 28.7 |
| Mauritania | 31 | 31 | 30.9 | 30.8 |
