Cross-National Study of the Correlation of General Population Suicide Rates with Unemployment Rates

Abstract

Individual and aggregate-level studies in at least seven countries have yielded significant positive correlations for suicide with unemployment, particularly for men of younger age groups. Unemployment may act as a stressful life event leading to suicide; however, the correlation of general population suicide rates with measures of unemployment in a cross-national study of 27 countries was not statistically significant, and the magnitude was small. To be certain, further data on unemployment rates would be needed for a larger number of countries, particularly with low income.