Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) was 4.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 1990–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 4.4% for unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 32 years on record.
The figure is down 9.4% on the previous year and down 21.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 9.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 2025.
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 19th of 24 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5.4% | — |
| 1992 | 6.1% | +12.6% |
| 1993 | 5.3% | -13.2% |
| 1995 | 6.9% | +30.5% |
| 1996 | 7.1% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 6.6% | -6.7% |
| 1998 | 7.2% | +8.6% |
| 1999 | 8.0% | +11.3% |
| 2001 | 7.8% | -2.6% |
| 2002 | 8.1% | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 8.1% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 6.8% | -15.8% |
| 2005 | 6.8% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 5.9% | -13.9% |
| 2007 | 5.8% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 5.4% | -6.3% |
| 2009 | 6.4% | +17.9% |
| 2011 | 5.4% | -15.5% |
| 2012 | 5.4% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 5.2% | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 5.2% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 5.6% | +7.5% |
| 2016 | 6.7% | +19.3% |
| 2017 | 6.9% | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 6.9% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 6.9% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 9.2% | +33.4% |
| 2021 | 7.7% | -16.5% |
| 2022 | 5.7% | -25.1% |
| 2023 | 5.2% | -9.3% |
| 2024 | 4.9% | -6.6% |
| 2025 | 4.4% | -9.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.6% | 5.3% | 8.0% | 8 |
| 2000s | 6.8% | 5.4% | 8.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 6.0% | 5.2% | 6.9% | 9 |
| 2020s | 6.2% | 4.4% | 9.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
More work & labour data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 69.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.7% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 69.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 39.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 75.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 55.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 63.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 47.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 57.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 80.6% (2025)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) was 4.4% 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 9.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 2025.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 19th out of 24 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.