Potential labour force in Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin America and the Caribbean: Potential labour force was 17,318 in 2027. ▲ Rising

Latest (2027)
17,318
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
24th
of 87 groups
All-time high
24,501
in 2020
All-time low
14,151
in 2014
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Potential labour force in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2004–2027

05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k25.0k2004201520272004: 15.5k2005: 15.5k2006: 15.1k2007: 14.8k2008: 14.6k2009: 15.5k2010: 15.4k2011: 15.0k2012: 15.1k2013: 14.5k2014: 14.2k2015: 14.4k2016: 15.8k2017: 16.6k2018: 17.3k2019: 17.5k2020: 24.5k2021: 20.6k2022: 17.6k2023: 16.4k2024: 16.4k2025: 17.3k2026: 17.3k2027: 17.3k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, potential labour force in Latin America and the Caribbean stood at 17,318.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 4.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force in Latin America and the Caribbean peaked at 24,501 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 14,151, in 2014.

That places Latin America and the Caribbean 24th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Potential labour force in Latin America and the Caribbean, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 15,539
2005 15,516 -0.1%
2006 15,144 -2.4%
2007 14,766 -2.5%
2008 14,578 -1.3%
2009 15,468 +6.1%
2010 15,397 -0.5%
2011 15,038 -2.3%
2012 15,125 +0.6%
2013 14,508 -4.1%
2014 14,151 -2.5%
2015 14,435 +2.0%
2016 15,771 +9.3%
2017 16,564 +5.0%
2018 17,296 +4.4%
2019 17,532 +1.4%
2020 24,501 +39.8%
2021 20,647 -15.7%
2022 17,647 -14.5%
2023 16,370 -7.2%
2024 16,374 +0.0%
2025 17,300 +5.7%
2026 17,263 -0.2%
2027 17,318 +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 15,169 14,578 15,539 6
2010s 15,582 14,151 17,532 10
2020s 18,427 16,370 24,501 8

More work & labour data for Latin America and the Caribbean

All data for Latin America and the Caribbean →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force in Latin America and the Caribbean?
Potential labour force in Latin America and the Caribbean was 17,318 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
The highest recorded value was 24,501 in 2020.
What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
The lowest recorded value was 14,151 in 2014.
How does Latin America and the Caribbean rank for potential labour force?
Latin America and the Caribbean ranks 24th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is potential labour force rising or falling in Latin America and the Caribbean?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Latin America and the Caribbean data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Potential labour force in Latin America and the Caribbean. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates/latin-america-and-the-caribbean/

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About this data

Indicator
Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
87 places, 2,088 data points, 2004–2027
Last refreshed

Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The potential labour force refers to persons not in employment who express an interest in this form of work but for whom existing conditions limit their active job search and/or their availability. This group is used to calculate alternative measures of labour underutilization. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.