Least developed countries in the region had a lower unemployment rate of 4.0 per cent, in upper middle-income economies, the rate was 4.8 per cent and in high income economies it was 4.6 per cent. Landlocked developing countries faired significantly worse with unemployment at 6.9 per cent. ( The North and Central Asian subregion had the highest youth unemployment rate at 14.7 per cent in 2013, however, that rate represents a steep drop from the high of22.9 percent in 1998. Over recent years, the region has continued to grow as a major tourist destination.