Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in North America
North America: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) was 52.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in North America, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in North America stood at 52.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in North America peaked at 62.2% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 50.3%, in 2020.
That places North America 2nd out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in North America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 62.2% | — |
| 1991 | 61.0% | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 60.9% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 60.6% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 60.9% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 60.8% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 60.1% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 60.0% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 60.1% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 60.0% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 60.3% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 59.3% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 58.4% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 57.1% | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 56.7% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 56.3% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 56.3% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 55.3% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 54.9% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 53.1% | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 51.6% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 51.5% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 51.4% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 51.5% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 51.5% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 51.5% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 51.5% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 51.8% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 51.6% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 52.2% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 50.3% | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 51.8% | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 51.9% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 52.5% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 52.0% | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 52.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 60.7% | 60.0% | 62.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.8% | 53.1% | 60.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.6% | 51.4% | 52.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.7% | 50.3% | 52.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 1 Netherlands 83.3% compare
- 2 Iceland 82.1% compare
- 3 North Korea 78.5% compare
- 4 Madagascar 72.4% compare
- 5 Solomon Islands 70.8% compare
More work & labour data for North America
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 56.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 51.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 67.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 52.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 62.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 69.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 74.4% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 84.4% (2025)
- Contributing family workers, male (% of male employment) 0.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in North America?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in North America was 52.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 62.2% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.3% in 2020.
- How does North America rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- North America ranks 2nd out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. 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 Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 is the proportion of the population ages 15-24 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.