Record highs, little quarterly change
The OECD reported a mixed picture on October 15. The employment rate reached 70.4% in the second quarter of 2026, while labor force participation reached 74.2%. Both were the highest on record, though little changed from the previous quarter.
Young people starting their working lives faced a different picture. In August, unemployment among 15- to 24-year-olds rose from 11% to 11.3%. The overall rate across the OECD remained close to 5%.
The averages hide important differences
The figures cover different periods: the employment data is for April through June, while the unemployment data is for August. Results also vary by country. Colombia and Portugal recorded the largest year-on-year increases in the employment rate, while Iceland and Finland saw the sharpest declines.
For someone looking for a first job, the record employment rate tells only part of the story. Age and location still make a difference that the average can obscure.
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