Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 4.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Latin America & Caribbean, 1990–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Latin America & Caribbean recorded 4.6% for unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and down 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 9.5% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 4.5%, in 2024.
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 15th of 24 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 6.2% | — |
| 1992 | 6.2% | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 7.2% | +15.8% |
| 1996 | 7.8% | +8.0% |
| 1997 | 7.6% | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 8.3% | +9.4% |
| 1999 | 9.5% | +14.0% |
| 2001 | 7.7% | -18.6% |
| 2002 | 8.0% | +4.4% |
| 2003 | 8.0% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 6.7% | -15.7% |
| 2005 | 6.8% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 5.8% | -13.9% |
| 2007 | 5.7% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 5.4% | -6.2% |
| 2009 | 6.3% | +18.1% |
| 2011 | 5.4% | -14.7% |
| 2012 | 5.4% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 5.2% | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 5.1% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 5.6% | +8.0% |
| 2016 | 6.6% | +18.3% |
| 2017 | 6.8% | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 6.8% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 6.9% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 9.2% | +33.6% |
| 2021 | 7.7% | -16.7% |
| 2022 | 5.7% | -25.3% |
| 2023 | 5.2% | -9.3% |
| 2024 | 4.5% | -13.7% |
| 2025 | 4.6% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.5% | 6.2% | 9.5% | 7 |
| 2000s | 6.7% | 5.4% | 8.0% | 9 |
| 2010s | 6.0% | 5.1% | 6.9% | 9 |
| 2020s | 6.2% | 4.5% | 9.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
More work & labour data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 62.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 39.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 55.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 47.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 57.7% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 69.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 80.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 68.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Latin America & Caribbean was 4.6% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 9.5% in 1999.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.5% in 2024.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 15th out of 24 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.