Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in North America
North America: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) was 59.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
59.9%
Change on year
down 0.6%
Rank
6th
of 31 groups
All-time high
64.1%
in 2000
All-time low
55.4%
in 1961
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in North America, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
North America recorded 59.9% for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in 2025.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in North America peaked at 64.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 55.4%, in 1961.
North America ranks 6th of 31 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in North America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 56.1% | — |
| 1961 | 55.4% | -1.2% |
| 1962 | 55.5% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 55.4% | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 55.7% | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 56.2% | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 56.9% | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 57.3% | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 57.5% | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 58.0% | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 57.4% | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 56.6% | -1.4% |
| 1972 | 57.0% | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 57.8% | +1.4% |
| 1974 | 57.8% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 56.1% | -2.9% |
| 1976 | 56.8% | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 57.8% | +1.7% |
| 1978 | 59.1% | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 59.8% | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 59.2% | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 59.1% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 57.7% | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 57.8% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 59.3% | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 60.0% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 60.6% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 61.4% | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 62.2% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 62.9% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 62.7% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 61.5% | -1.9% |
| 1992 | 61.2% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 61.3% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 62.2% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 62.5% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 62.7% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 63.4% | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 63.6% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 63.9% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 64.1% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 63.4% | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 62.6% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 62.3% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 62.4% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 62.7% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 63.1% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 63.0% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 62.3% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 59.6% | -4.4% |
| 2010 | 58.8% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 58.7% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 58.9% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 58.9% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 59.3% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 59.6% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 59.9% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 60.3% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 60.6% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 60.9% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 56.9% | -6.6% |
| 2021 | 58.6% | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 60.2% | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 60.5% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 60.2% | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 59.9% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 56.4% | 55.4% | 58.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 57.6% | 56.1% | 59.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 60.0% | 57.7% | 62.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 62.5% | 61.2% | 63.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.5% | 59.6% | 64.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.6% | 58.7% | 60.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.4% | 56.9% | 60.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 3 Tanzania, United Republic of 83.2% compare
- 4 Isle of Man 81.9% compare
- 5 United Arab Emirates 79.8% compare
- 6 Cambodia 79.8% compare
- 7 Faroe Islands 79.6% compare
- 8 Niger 79.3% compare
- 9 Cayman Islands 79.3% compare
More work & labour data for North America
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 56.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 62.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 67.3% (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 to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in North America?
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in North America was 59.9% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 64.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.4% in 1961.
- How does North America rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%)?
- North America ranks 6th out of 31 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.