Employment by status in Panama
Panama: Employment by status was 59.4% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
59.4%
Change on year
down 2.8%
World rank
111th
of 186 countries
All-time high
69.4%
in 2008
All-time low
55.7%
in 2022
Years of data
34
1991–2024
Employment by status in Panama, 1991–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, employment by status in Panama stood at 59.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.8% on the previous year and down 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by status in Panama peaked at 69.4% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 55.7%, in 2022.
That places Panama 111th out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Employment by status in Panama, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 62.8% | — |
| 1992 | 62.9% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 63.1% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 63.3% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 63.4% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 63.5% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 63.6% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 63.2% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 62.8% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 62.3% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 61.8% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 61.3% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 60.9% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 61.2% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 61.5% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 61.8% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 64.2% | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 69.4% | +8.1% |
| 2009 | 63.5% | -8.4% |
| 2010 | 63.8% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 65.9% | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 65.9% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 65.6% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 65.2% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 64.2% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 62.1% | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 62.8% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 60.5% | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 58.7% | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 58.8% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 59.1% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 55.7% | -5.9% |
| 2023 | 61.1% | +9.7% |
| 2024 | 59.4% | -2.8% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 59.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 86.7%, 68% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Panama's 59.4% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 68.4%, 87% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 63.2% | 62.8% | 63.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 62.8% | 60.9% | 69.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.5% | 58.7% | 65.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 58.8% | 55.7% | 61.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More work & labour data for Panama
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.192 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1956 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1888 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,652 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,175 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,950 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,955 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,905 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment by status in Panama?
- Employment by status in Panama was 59.4% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment by status recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 69.4% in 2008.
- What is the lowest employment by status recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.7% in 2022.
- How does Panama rank for employment by status?
- Panama ranks 111th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is employment by status rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment by status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of people in employment working as employees, as a percentage of total employment.