The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released its 2019 estimates for unemployment rates. There are some surprising results, particularly when it comes to wealthy countries. Let's take a look at the predictions, starting with countries offering the lowest levels of unemployment.

Thanks to its thriving economy, the US has enjoyed continuous job creation since 2010. The world's largest economy is predicted to maintain its lowest unemployment rate since the late 1960s, but recent trade tensions with China and Mexico could throw this off track.

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Taiwan has one of the most prosperous economies in Asia. Expansion has been achieved thanks to the large number of small and medium-size businesses being launched, and this coupled with investment in public infrastructure means low unemployment.

The UK's unemployment rate currently sits at a record low. The unemployment rate for women has also dropped below 4% for the first time. Despite worries over Brexit, the country's employers hired at the fastest rate in over three years during the last three months of 2018. However, things may be about to change as the labour market has begun to slow in recent months amid uncertainty surrounding the country’s exit from the EU.

The Netherlands has a thriving economy thanks to strong global trade relations, and is currently ranked as the fourth best country for businesses in 2019 by Forbes. The country's strong net exports and high global investment has seen the economy grow faster than the European average in recent years, and provided plenty of jobs. That said, the boom can also be seen in the housing market price rises, especially in the capital Amsterdam, with many – including Amsterdam's Deputy Mayor Lauren Ivens – worried about that creating an environment where many can't afford to live there.

South Korea's economy grew at a rapid pace during the last three months of 2018, maintaining the country's low unemployment rate which stood at 3.7% during 2018. Faced with decreasing demand from the US and China, the government has introduced a programme to stimulate domestic economic growth and job creation.

As one of the world's wealthiest nations, employment in Singapore remains high. The country also has the lowest youth unemployment rate in Asia. Foreign domestic workers (FDWs) added US$8.2 billion (£6.5 billion) to Singapore's economy in 2018, according to a study by Experian and Enrich.

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Germany has a large open economy – currently the largest in the Eurozone – with a particularly strong manufacturing sector. It also has one of the strongest labour markets in the world, with good prospects for the country's jobseekers continuing in 2019. However, there are concerns for the trade-focused country, with industrial production falling by 1.9% in April compared to March according to official figures, and one of its most important markets, China, experiencing a recent economic decline in demand.

Unemployment in Oman is predicted to stay low, aided by the introduction of an expat visa ban in certain industries from early 2018. However, youth unemployment remains high, as does the disparity between genders; 2019 estimates put male unemployment at 1.6% and female at 13.2%.

Iceland has low unemployment thanks to economic growth during the last decade. The biggest driver has been the rise of tourism in the country; the number of tourists increased by 400% from 2010 to 2017 according to Forbes. The country has also focused on diversifying its economy, investing in its manufacturing, IT and service industries.

Hong Kong is currently enjoying its lowest unemployment rate in 20 years. The country's tourism sector has rebounded, boosting job creation in related sectors. With the increase in demand for employees, there's expected to be more women and elderly people reentering the workforce. However, some economists have argued that the figure hides the fact that salaries may not be adequate, as the current minimum wage is a mere HK$34.50 per hour, the equivalent of just US$4.42 (£3.51). The new minimum wage is to be announced next year. 

Over the last few decades the UAE has made efforts to diversify its economy, and as a result doesn't rely on oil as much as other countries in the Middle East. As a result, the economy isn't as volatile and the labour market is very strong. This is particularly important given that the majority of the population are aged between 25 and 39.

The Czech Republic has high employment rates thanks in large part to low labour costs. The country has also seen lots of foreign investment following government incentives such as tax breaks for new businesses and cash rewards for job creation.

While the world's third largest economy has seen slow growth in recent years, Japan's labour market remains strong. Youth unemployment is currently 4.6%, compared to an average of 15% across other OECD countries, and the overall unemployment rate is the lowest in 25 years. Faced with an ageing population, the government has launched plans to accept more foreign workers.

The Kuwait economy relies heavily on oil production, with the nation holding over 6% of the world's reserves. With oil prices currently increasing, the country is expected to see strong growth and therefore a stable labour market, wherein 74% of the workforce was employed by the public sector according to 2017 figures from Kuwait's Central Statistical Bureau.

Macau has a thriving economy. The IMF predicts GDP growth of 4.2% by 2020, overtaking Qatar to have the highest GDP per person of any country. This prosperity means there are just 6,600 unemployed people in the nation, with one in ten of those being young citizens looking for their first job.

Oil-rich Qatar has an extremely wealthy economy and as a result a strong labour market. As a result, Qatar is the only MENA-region country to have youth unemployment rates lower than the world average. Employment is being boosted further by preparations for the country's hosting of the World Cup in 2022.

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Moving onto the countries with the highest unemployment, Venezuela remains one of the worst places to find a job. Formerly the richest country in Latin America, Venezuela has had a might fall from grace and has plunged into the depths of an economic crisis. A large number of businesses have been forced to close, and many rural towns are now completely cut off, with basic services such as electricity failing. Venezuela's currency, the bolivar, has almost no value and people are leaving the country in their thousands. 

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Despite the government's goal to decrease unemployment to 7% by 2022, the rate reduced by only 0.1% during 2018. France's economy has seen sluggish growth in recent years, and this in turn has lead to huge amounts of precarious short-term employment contracts being used by employers.

A national debt of €2.3 trillion ($2.6tn/£2tn) and a political and economic crisis means Italy has one of the highest unemployment rates of any developed country. The IMF predicts the country's GDP will grow by just 0.1% in 2019.

Brunei's demographics play a big part in the nation's unemployment problem. With a relatively young population, the number of people entering the job market each year is higher than the number retiring, and economic conditions mean too few jobs are being created. 

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The ailing economy in Barbados has lead to a lack of opportunities for its population. However, there is expected to be some positive change thanks to an economic recovery program including US$290 million (£231m) from the Extended Fund Facility (EEF).

The economic crisis in Argentina has left one in 10 citizens of working age unable to find a job. Following a loss of confidence in the country's currency, the peso lost half of its value against the dollar in 2018, and inflation is very high reaching 57.3% in May 2019 according to Trading Economics. That said, Oxford Economics have forecast that inflation will drop and settle to around 38% by the end of 2019.

High national debts and the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 have left Puerto Rico in financial crisis. With the island already having prolonged struggles economically over the last decade, thousands of citizens have moved to the United States. Puerto Rico's population has seen a substantial decrease of around 10% over the past decade, which has both contributed to and been worsened by the economic crisis.

Bahamas's economy has seen little to no growth over the past decade, and this coupled with the high cost of doing business in the country has lead to a lack of labour market growth. There simply aren't enough jobs being created in order to offset the unemployment still leftover from the 2008 recession, as well as to cater to the thousands of school leavers entering the workforce each year.

Turkey has been experiencing economic turmoil following a loss of confidence in the lira, which saw a drop in value of 30% in 2018, followed by another 10% in the first half of 2019. As a result, unemployment has worsened, even more so in the agricultural sector which now sits at 20%. The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜIK) also revealed that just one in five of the country's young people were unemployed during 2018.

French Polynesia relies heavily on its tourism industry. However the sector is struggling with declining visitor numbers, resulting in more people out of work.

With Brazil on the brink of recession, there are currently more than 13 million people without work in the country. Hopes for much-needed investment from the private sector are waning due to low confidence in new President Jair Bolsonaro, and exports to neighbouring Argentina have decreased following the country's own economic crisis.

New Caledonia has long been reliant on its nickel industry, being home to around 25% of the world's reserves. Nickel prices have had a major downturn in recent years, which has had a disastrous effect on the country's economy, and in turn unemployment rates. In fact, over half of jobseekers are classed as long-term unemployed.

Spain is still recovering from the aftermath of the global financial crisis, which caused a huge downturn in the country's property market. While unemployment has been falling since the 2013 high of 27%, there is still little stability with 26% of the workforce on temporary contracts.

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Greece's financial crash in 2010 lead to large-scale cutbacks in the country's huge public sector. Since then, economic growth has been slow, and therefore the country still has the highest unemployment rate in Europe. It also has the highest rate of youth unemployment at 43.6% according to PwC, and one in four women are out of work.

The economy of St Vincent and the Grenadines is largely dependent on seasonal industries such as tourism and agriculture, and this, coupled with high national debt has lead to high unemployment rates. However, there are signs of improvement thanks to the opening of a new airport, and more demand for building materials following Hurricane Maria.

Saint Lucia's once thriving banana industry has seen rapid decline in recent years, and the country also has high public debt and high vulnerability to natural disasters. This means that despite a relatively high income per capita, its economy is ailing and stable job opportunities are hard to come by. 

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