Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Employment in industry (% of total employment) was 20.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in industry (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean stood at 20.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in industry (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 23.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 20.3%, in 2020.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 23.7% | — |
| 1992 | 23.5% | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 23.3% | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 23.0% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 22.6% | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 22.6% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 22.5% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 22.7% | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 22.2% | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 22.4% | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 21.9% | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 21.9% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 21.7% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 21.8% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 21.9% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 22.0% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 22.3% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 22.5% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 21.9% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 21.9% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 21.8% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 21.7% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 21.6% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 21.8% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 21.6% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 21.0% | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 20.7% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 20.6% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 20.4% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 20.3% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 20.7% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 20.8% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 20.6% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 20.6% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 20.5% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 22.9% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 22.0% | 21.7% | 22.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.3% | 20.4% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.6% | 20.3% | 20.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
More work & labour data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 62.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 39.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 55.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 47.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 80.4% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 69.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 57.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 68.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in industry (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean was 20.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 23.7% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.3% in 2020.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for employment in industry (% of total employment)?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment in industry (% of total employment) rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The industry sector consists of mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and public utilities (electricity, gas, and water), in accordance with divisions 2-5 (ISIC 2) or categories C-F (ISIC 3) or categories B-F (ISIC 4).