Employment declined 3.0 percent in San Juan, the only large municipio in Puerto Rico, from March 2025 to March 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Puerto Rico employment decreased 0.8 percent over the year to 944,500 in March 2026, as measured by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Mark J. Maggi noted that employment in San Juan stood at 245,900 in March 2026, accounting for 26.0 percent of total employment in Puerto Rico. Nationwide, the 376 largest counties comprise 73.5 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 2025.)

The average weekly wage in San Juan increased 5.1 percent over the year to $902. In Puerto Rico, average weekly wages increased 3.4 percent over the year to $724. The United States average was $1,654, up 3.9 percent over the year.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 77 smaller municipios in Puerto Rico, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2025. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all of the smaller municipios were below the national average. Juncos reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,464) in the commonwealth. Las Marías reported the lowest average weekly wage ($411).

Among all 78 Puerto Rico municipios, 30 reported average weekly wages less than $525, 12 had wages from $525 to $574, 11 had wages from $575 to $624, 9 had wages from $625 to $674, and 16 had average weekly wages of $675 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)