Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 15.7% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
15.7%
World rank
21st
of 181 countries
All-time high
17.4%
in 1983
All-time low
7.8%
in 2000
Years of data
44
1971–2020

Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Puerto Rico, 1971–2020

0510151971199520201971: 11.11972: 10.81973: 10.51974: 11.61975: 15.31976: 151977: 14.71978: 12.81979: 10.91980: 12.21981: 131982: 13.51983: 17.41984: 15.51985: 16.11986: 141987: 13.41988: 11.41989: 10.81990: 11.51991: 13.81992: 13.31993: 13.31994: 11.71995: 10.81996: 11.61997: 12.21998: 121999: 9.52000: 7.82001: 9.42002: 10.62003: 10.82004: 8.82005: 10.22006: 10.62007: 9.52008: 9.82009: 12.52010: 12.72011: 12.82012: 122015: 9.42020: 15.7

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

The most recent figure for unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Puerto Rico is 15.7%, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of up 23.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Puerto Rico peaked at 17.4% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 7.8%, in 2000.

That places Puerto Rico 21st out of 181 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.

Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Puerto Rico, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) in Puerto Rico, 1971 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1971 11.1%
1972 10.8% -2.6%
1973 10.5% -3.1%
1974 11.6% +10.7%
1975 15.3% +31.5%
1976 15.0% -2.0%
1977 14.7% -2.1%
1978 12.8% -12.3%
1979 10.9% -15.3%
1980 12.2% +12.2%
1981 13.0% +6.2%
1982 13.5% +3.9%
1983 17.4% +28.8%
1984 15.5% -10.5%
1985 16.1% +3.8%
1986 14.0% -13.2%
1987 13.4% -4.4%
1988 11.4% -14.6%
1989 10.8% -5.7%
1990 11.5% +6.9%
1991 13.8% +20.1%
1992 13.3% -3.7%
1993 13.3% +0.1%
1994 11.7% -12.0%
1995 10.8% -8.2%
1996 11.6% +8.0%
1997 12.2% +5.0%
1998 12.0% -1.7%
1999 9.5% -20.7%
2000 7.8% -17.6%
2001 9.4% +19.9%
2002 10.6% +12.3%
2003 10.8% +2.5%
2004 8.8% -19.0%
2005 10.2% +16.9%
2006 10.6% +3.3%
2007 9.5% -9.9%
2008 9.8% +3.0%
2009 12.5% +27.3%
2010 12.7% +1.7%
2011 12.8% +0.7%
2012 12.0% -6.5%
2015 9.4% -21.2%
2020 15.7% +66.1%

Puerto Rico compared with similar countries

  • Puerto Rico's 15.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.5%, 2.8× the median. (75 countries reporting)
  • Puerto Rico's 15.7% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 7.9%, 2.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 12.5% 10.5% 15.3% 9
1980s 13.7% 10.8% 17.4% 10
1990s 12.0% 9.5% 13.8% 10
2000s 10.0% 7.8% 12.5% 10
2010s 11.7% 9.4% 12.8% 4
2020s 15.7% 15.7% 15.7% 1

Countries ranked near Puerto Rico

  1. 18 Guyana 17.7% compare
  2. 19 Haiti 17.3% compare
  3. 20 Morocco 17.1% compare
  4. 22 Iran, Islamic Republic of 14.3% compare
  5. 23 Sudan 14.1% compare
  6. 24 Belize 13.6% compare

See the full ranking of 205 places →

More work & labour data for Puerto Rico

All data for Puerto Rico →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Puerto Rico?
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Puerto Rico was 15.7% in 2020, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Puerto Rico?
The highest recorded value was 17.4% in 1983.
What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Puerto Rico?
The lowest recorded value was 7.8% in 2000.
How does Puerto Rico rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
Puerto Rico ranks 21st out of 181 countries with data for 2020.
Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Puerto Rico data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 44 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Puerto Rico. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-female-percent-of-female-labor-force-national-estimate/puerto-rico-us/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-female-percent-of-female-labor-force-national-estimate/puerto-rico-us/">Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Puerto Rico</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
205 places, 5,402 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.