Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) was 24.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Least developed countries, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Least developed countries stood at 24.3%.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Least developed countries peaked at 24.8% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 20.7%, in 1995.
Least developed countries ranks 40th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 20.8% | — |
| 1992 | 20.8% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 20.8% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 20.7% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 20.7% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 20.9% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 21.1% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 21.3% | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 21.5% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 21.6% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 21.8% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 21.9% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 22.0% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 22.2% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 22.3% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 22.5% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 22.8% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 23.0% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 23.3% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 23.6% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 23.7% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 23.9% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 24.0% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 24.2% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 24.3% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 24.4% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 24.6% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 24.7% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 24.8% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 24.1% | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 24.4% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 24.7% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 24.0% | -2.8% |
| 2024 | 24.1% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 24.3% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.0% | 20.7% | 21.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 22.3% | 21.6% | 23.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.2% | 23.6% | 24.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.3% | 24.0% | 24.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
More work & labour data for Least developed countries
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 53.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 63.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 45.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 49.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.2% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 73.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 52.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 54.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 65.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Least developed countries?
- Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Least developed countries was 24.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 24.8% in 2019.
- What is the lowest wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.7% in 1995.
- How does Least developed countries rank for wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment)?
- Least developed countries ranks 40th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Least developed countries data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Wage and salaried workers (employees) are those workers who hold the type of jobs defined as "paid employment jobs," where the incumbents hold explicit (written or oral) or implicit employment contracts that give them a basic remuneration that is not directly dependent upon the revenue of the unit for which they work.