Youth unemployment in the OECD at its peak by 2026

The unemployment rate in the OECD remained stable at 5% in September 2026, slightly above the historical low of 4.8% recorded in June 2023. There were 35.2 million unemployed individuals across OECD countries, with rates largely unchanged in two-thirds of the countries. The lowest rates were in the Czech Republic, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and Mexico, while Spain and Finland had the highest at 10.3% and 11%, respectively. In Portugal, the unemployment rate was 5.6%. Youth unemployment rose to 11.5%, the highest level in 2026, with 29 countries reporting double-digit youth unemployment rates, exceeding 20% in several nations.