Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 5.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Latin America & Caribbean, 1990–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Latin America & Caribbean recorded 5.4% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 16.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 11.3% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 2024.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 9th out of 33 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 7.0% | — |
| 1992 | 7.7% | +11.0% |
| 1995 | 8.6% | +11.8% |
| 1996 | 9.6% | +10.7% |
| 1997 | 9.4% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 10.2% | +8.4% |
| 1999 | 11.3% | +10.6% |
| 2001 | 9.1% | -19.5% |
| 2002 | 9.6% | +5.4% |
| 2003 | 9.6% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 8.4% | -12.2% |
| 2005 | 8.3% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 7.2% | -13.4% |
| 2007 | 7.3% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 6.7% | -8.1% |
| 2009 | 7.7% | +15.0% |
| 2011 | 6.6% | -13.9% |
| 2012 | 6.4% | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 6.2% | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 6.0% | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 6.5% | +7.8% |
| 2016 | 7.6% | +17.2% |
| 2017 | 7.9% | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 7.9% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 8.1% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 10.5% | +29.2% |
| 2021 | 9.2% | -11.9% |
| 2022 | 6.9% | -25.3% |
| 2023 | 6.1% | -11.3% |
| 2024 | 5.3% | -12.9% |
| 2025 | 5.4% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.1% | 7.0% | 11.3% | 7 |
| 2000s | 8.2% | 6.7% | 9.6% | 9 |
| 2010s | 7.0% | 6.0% | 8.1% | 9 |
| 2020s | 7.2% | 5.3% | 10.5% | 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, total (% of total labor force) in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Latin America & Caribbean was 5.4% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 11.3% in 1999.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 2024.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 9th out of 33 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.8%. 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, total (% of total 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.