Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in North America
North America: Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) was 93.2% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in North America, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
North America recorded 93.2% for wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in North America peaked at 93.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 89.9%, in 1991.
That places North America 1st out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in North America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 89.9% | — |
| 1992 | 90.2% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 90.0% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 90.2% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 90.4% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 90.4% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 90.5% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 90.8% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 91.0% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 91.2% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 91.4% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 91.5% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 91.2% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 91.2% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 91.3% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 91.4% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 91.5% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 91.7% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 91.6% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 91.6% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 91.9% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 91.9% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 92.1% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 92.2% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 92.2% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 92.3% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 92.4% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 92.4% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 92.6% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 92.7% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 92.6% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 92.9% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 93.1% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 93.0% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 93.2% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 90.4% | 89.9% | 91.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 91.4% | 91.2% | 91.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 92.2% | 91.6% | 92.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 92.9% | 92.6% | 93.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
More work & labour data for North America
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 56.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 67.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 62.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 51.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 52.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 52.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.8% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 84.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 69.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 74.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in North America?
- Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in North America was 93.2% 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 North America?
- The highest recorded value was 93.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 89.9% in 1991.
- How does North America rank for wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment)?
- North America ranks 1st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this North America 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.