Employment in industry (% of total employment) in North America
North America: Employment in industry (% of total employment) was 18.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in North America, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
North America recorded 18.9% for employment in industry (% of total employment) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in industry (% of total employment) in North America peaked at 24.3% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 18.9%, in 2025.
That places North America 33rd 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 North America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 24.3% | — |
| 1992 | 23.8% | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 23.3% | -1.9% |
| 1994 | 23.3% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 23.3% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 23.2% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 23.3% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 23.1% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 22.7% | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 22.7% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 22.5% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 22.4% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 22.4% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 22.3% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 22.2% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 22.2% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 22.0% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 21.4% | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 19.9% | -6.7% |
| 2010 | 19.6% | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 19.7% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 19.7% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 19.9% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 19.9% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 19.7% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 19.6% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 19.6% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 19.7% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 19.7% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 19.4% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 19.2% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 19.3% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 19.3% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 19.0% | -1.5% |
| 2025 | 18.9% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.4% | 22.7% | 24.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 22.0% | 19.9% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.7% | 19.6% | 19.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.2% | 18.9% | 19.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
More work & labour data for North America
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 56.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 67.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 62.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 51.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 52.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 52.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.8% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 84.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 69.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 74.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in industry (% of total employment) in North America?
- Employment in industry (% of total employment) in North America was 18.9% 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 North America?
- The highest recorded value was 24.3% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.9% in 2025.
- How does North America rank for employment in industry (% of total employment)?
- North America ranks 33rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment in industry (% of total employment) rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North America 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).