Labor force participation rate in Jamaica
Jamaica: Labor force participation rate was 69.57 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
69.57
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
31st
of 186 countries
All-time high
71.24
in 1990
All-time low
60.49
in 2010
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Jamaica, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate in Jamaica is 69.57, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Jamaica peaked at 71.24 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 60.49, in 2010.
That places Jamaica 31st out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 71.24 | — |
| 1991 | 70.89 | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 70.56 | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 70.2 | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 69.82 | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 69.4 | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 68.95 | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 68.46 | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 67.97 | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 67.23 | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 66.67 | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 66.11 | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 65.76 | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 65.4 | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 65.36 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 65.18 | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 64.94 | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 64.67 | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 64.39 | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 62.17 | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 60.49 | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 60.82 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 60.73 | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 61.84 | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 62.55 | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 65.5 | +4.7% |
| 2016 | 64.92 | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 65.67 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 65.48 | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 66.97 | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 64.83 | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 65.69 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 67.65 | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 69.47 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 69.44 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 69.57 | +0.2% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 69.57 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 60.51, 1.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 69.57 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 63.14, 1.1× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 69.47 | 67.23 | 71.24 | 10 |
| 2000s | 65.07 | 62.17 | 66.67 | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.5 | 60.49 | 66.97 | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.78 | 64.83 | 69.57 | 6 |
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 labor force participation rate in Jamaica?
- Labor force participation rate in Jamaica was 69.57 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 71.24 in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 60.49 in 2010.
- How does Jamaica rank for labor force participation rate?
- Jamaica ranks 31st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).