Employment in services (% of total employment) in North America
North America: Employment in services (% of total employment) was 79.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services (% of total employment) in North America, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
North America recorded 79.6% for employment in services (% of total employment) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services (% of total employment) in North America peaked at 79.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 72.7%, in 1991.
North America ranks 1st of 47 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in services (% of total employment) in North America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 72.7% | — |
| 1992 | 73.3% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 73.9% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 73.8% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 73.7% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 73.9% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 73.9% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 74.2% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 74.7% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 74.9% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 75.2% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 75.5% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 75.7% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 75.8% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 76.0% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 76.0% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 76.3% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 76.9% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 78.3% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 78.6% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 78.5% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 78.5% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 78.4% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 78.4% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 78.4% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 78.5% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 78.6% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 78.5% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 78.5% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 78.8% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 79.2% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 79.1% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 79.1% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 79.4% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 79.6% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 73.8% | 72.7% | 74.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 76.1% | 74.9% | 78.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.5% | 78.4% | 78.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.2% | 78.8% | 79.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 1 Djibouti 92.2% compare
- 2 Luxembourg 91.5% compare
- 3 Macau, China 88.6% compare
- 4 Singapore 85.9% compare
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 services (% of total employment) in North America?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in North America was 79.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 79.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 72.7% in 1991.
- How does North America rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- North America ranks 1st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 services (% 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 services sector consists of wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels; transport, storage, and communications; financing, insurance, real estate, and business services; and community, social, and personal services, in accordance with divisions 6-9 (ISIC 2) or categories G-Q (ISIC 3) or categories G-U (ISIC 4).