Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Jamaica
Jamaica: Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 was 58.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Jamaica, 1974–2023
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Jamaica is 58.2%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 5.1% on the previous year and up 25.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Jamaica peaked at 58.2% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 38.3%, in 1980.
That places Jamaica 41st out of 172 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 40.6% | — |
| 1975 | 40.0% | -1.7% |
| 1976 | 40.0% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 40.2% | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 38.3% | -4.8% |
| 1981 | 38.9% | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 38.3% | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 40.4% | +5.5% |
| 1988 | 47.0% | +16.3% |
| 1990 | 48.5% | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 48.6% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 47.9% | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 46.6% | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 45.3% | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 44.9% | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 42.9% | -4.4% |
| 2001 | 42.5% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 44.1% | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 46.6% | +5.6% |
| 2007 | 48.9% | +4.9% |
| 2008 | 50.6% | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 48.7% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 47.1% | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 46.9% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 46.7% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 46.2% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 46.9% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 49.7% | +5.9% |
| 2017 | 51.3% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 52.4% | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 53.9% | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 51.3% | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 52.5% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 55.4% | +5.5% |
| 2023 | 58.2% | +5.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 40.2% | 40.0% | 40.6% | 4 |
| 1980s | 40.6% | 38.3% | 47.0% | 5 |
| 1990s | 46.4% | 42.9% | 48.6% | 7 |
| 2000s | 46.9% | 42.5% | 50.6% | 6 |
| 2010s | 49.0% | 46.2% | 53.9% | 9 |
| 2020s | 54.3% | 51.3% | 58.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More work & labour data for Jamaica
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -1.76 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -1.69 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -1.83 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.25 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0152 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1,904 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 799.47 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 544.43 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 522.35 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1,067 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Jamaica?
- Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Jamaica was 58.2% in 2023, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 58.2% in 2023.
- What is the lowest female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.3% in 1980.
- How does Jamaica rank for female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024?
- Jamaica ranks 41st out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
- Is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are employed. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.