Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in North America
North America: Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) was 50.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
50.4%
Change on year
down 1.6%
Rank
1st
of 21 groups
All-time high
61.4%
in 1989
All-time low
46.0%
in 2010
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in North America, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in North America is 50.4%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and up 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in North America peaked at 61.4% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 46.0%, in 2010.
North America ranks 1st of 21 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in North America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 50.1% | — |
| 1961 | 49.0% | -2.2% |
| 1962 | 49.5% | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 48.5% | -2.0% |
| 1964 | 49.0% | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 50.2% | +2.4% |
| 1966 | 52.2% | +4.0% |
| 1967 | 52.7% | +1.0% |
| 1968 | 52.7% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 54.0% | +2.5% |
| 1970 | 53.2% | -1.5% |
| 1971 | 52.3% | -1.7% |
| 1972 | 54.3% | +3.8% |
| 1973 | 57.0% | +5.0% |
| 1974 | 57.2% | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 54.2% | -5.2% |
| 1976 | 55.7% | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 57.4% | +3.1% |
| 1978 | 59.5% | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 60.4% | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 58.7% | -2.8% |
| 1981 | 57.9% | -1.4% |
| 1982 | 55.3% | -4.5% |
| 1983 | 55.5% | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 58.1% | +4.7% |
| 1985 | 58.9% | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 59.5% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 60.2% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 61.0% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 61.4% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 60.0% | -2.4% |
| 1991 | 57.2% | -4.6% |
| 1992 | 56.5% | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 56.8% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 57.8% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 57.9% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 57.2% | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 57.5% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 58.4% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 58.6% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 59.3% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 57.6% | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 55.9% | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 54.3% | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 54.3% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 54.3% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 54.7% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 53.8% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 52.1% | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 47.8% | -8.3% |
| 2010 | 46.0% | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 46.5% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 46.9% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 47.4% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 48.5% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 49.4% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 50.1% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 51.1% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 51.2% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 51.9% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 46.2% | -10.9% |
| 2021 | 50.6% | +9.5% |
| 2022 | 51.8% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 52.4% | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 51.3% | -2.1% |
| 2025 | 50.4% | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 50.8% | 48.5% | 54.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 56.1% | 52.3% | 60.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 58.6% | 55.3% | 61.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.8% | 56.5% | 60.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.4% | 47.8% | 59.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.9% | 46.0% | 51.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.5% | 46.2% | 52.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 1 Netherlands 76.0% compare
- 2 Iceland 74.8% compare
- 3 Niger 71.2% compare
- 4 Tanzania, United Republic of 69.6% 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, ages 15-24, total (%) in North America?
- Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in North America was 50.4% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 61.4% in 1989.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.0% in 2010.
- How does North America rank for employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%)?
- North America ranks 1st out of 21 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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, ages 15-24, 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.