The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information,
make sure you're on a federal government site.
The site is secure. The
https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
Municipio Employment and Wages in Puerto Rico — Fourth Quarter 2024
Employment decreased 0.2 percent in Puerto Rico from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Mark J. Maggi noted that employment decreased 0.8 percent in Puerto Rico’s only large municipio, San Juan, over the same period.
Employment in San Juan stood at 264,200 in December 2024, accounting for 27.1 percent of total employment in Puerto Rico. (See table 1.) Nationwide, the 369 largest counties comprise 73.3 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023.)
Large municipio average weekly wages in the fourth quarter 2024
The average weekly wage in San Juan increased 3.9 percent over the year to $871. The average weekly wage in Puerto Rico was $718 in the fourth quarter of 2024, a 4.5-percent increase over the year. The United States average was $1,507, up 5.0 percent over the year.
Smaller municipio average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2024
Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 77 small municipios in Puerto Rico, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels for all 77 smaller counties were below the national average. Juncos reported the highest average weekly wage ($991). Adjuntas reported the lowest average weekly wage ($455) in the commonwealth.
Among all 78 Puerto Rico municipios, 25 reported average weekly wages of less than $550, 17 registered wages from $550 to $599, 13 had wages from $600 to $649, and 23 had average weekly wages of $650 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)
Map 1. Average weekly wages by municipio in Puerto Rico, fourth quarter 2024
(U.S. Average = $1,507)
Additional statistics and other information
QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.
Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.
The County Employment and Wages release for the first quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
QCEW Moves to One Data Release Beginning with Fourth Quarter 2024 Publication
The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) is streamlining its release process. Beginning with the fourth quarter 2024 national release on June 4, QCEW will publish the national County Employment and Wages news release on the same date as the QCEW full data update. Revised news release dates are available online.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the largest municipio in Puerto Rico, fourth quarter 2024
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. (3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (6) This municipio was not included in the U.S. rankings.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all municipios in Puerto Rico, fourth quarter 2024
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, fourth quarter 2024
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
United States Department of Labor
