Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) was 31.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean is 31.5%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 35.1% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 31.1%, in 2014.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 33rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 34.9% | — |
| 1992 | 35.0% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 35.1% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 34.7% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 34.4% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 33.9% | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 34.0% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 33.9% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 34.1% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 33.6% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 33.5% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 33.7% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 33.5% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 33.2% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 32.9% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 32.2% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 31.7% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 31.3% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 31.7% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 31.5% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 31.4% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 31.3% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 31.2% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 31.1% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 31.5% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 31.7% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 32.1% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 32.3% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 32.4% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 33.2% | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 33.8% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 32.9% | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 32.1% | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 31.6% | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 31.5% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 34.4% | 33.9% | 35.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 32.7% | 31.3% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.7% | 31.1% | 32.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.5% | 31.5% | 33.8% | 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 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)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 68.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 80.4% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 69.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean was 31.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 35.1% in 1993.
- What is the lowest vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.1% in 2014.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment)?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 33rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Vulnerable employment is contributing family workers and own-account workers as a percentage of total employment.