Employment in Panama
Panama: Employment was 2,096 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in Panama, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, employment in Panama stood at 2,096. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 16.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Panama peaked at 2,096 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 872.7, in 1991.
That places Panama 126th out of 188 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 872.7 | — |
| 1992 | 915.93 | +5.0% |
| 1993 | 957.93 | +4.6% |
| 1994 | 988.38 | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 1,027 | +3.9% |
| 1996 | 1,054 | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 1,086 | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 1,138 | +4.8% |
| 1999 | 1,167 | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 1,203 | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 1,238 | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 1,275 | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 1,310 | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 1,357 | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 1,394 | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 1,411 | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 1,454 | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 1,524 | +4.8% |
| 2009 | 1,504 | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 1,570 | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 1,587 | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 1,677 | +5.7% |
| 2013 | 1,734 | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 1,756 | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 1,793 | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 1,838 | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 1,856 | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 1,948 | +4.9% |
| 2019 | 1,992 | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 1,791 | -10.1% |
| 2021 | 1,813 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 1,994 | +10.0% |
| 2023 | 2,028 | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 2,059 | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 2,096 | +1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,023 | 872.7 | 1,167 | 9 |
| 2000s | 1,367 | 1,203 | 1,524 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,775 | 1,570 | 1,992 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,964 | 1,791 | 2,096 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Panama
- 123 Libya 2,126 compare
- 124 Congo 2,116 compare
- 125 Turkmenistan 2,109 compare
- 127 Central African Republic 1,947 compare
- 128 Republic of Moldova 1,717 compare
- 129 Georgia 1,711 compare
More work & labour data for Panama
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.192 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1956 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1888 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,652 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,175 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,950 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,955 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,905 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Panama?
- Employment in Panama was 2,096 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 2,096 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 872.7 in 1991.
- How does Panama rank for employment?
- Panama ranks 126th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.