Municipio Employment and Wages in Puerto Rico — First Quarter 2026

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.)

Large municipio average weekly wages in the first quarter 2026

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.

Smaller municipio average weekly wages in the first quarter of 2026

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.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by municipio in Puerto Rico, first quarter 2026

(U.S. Average = $1,654)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for all states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The County Employment and Wages release for the second quarter 2026 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 2, 2026.

County Changes for the 2026 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2025 are included in this release and will be included in future 2026 releases. Five counties have been added to the publication tables: Kenton, KY; Union, NC; Licking, OH; Gregg, TX; and Kenosha, WI. One county has been dropped from the publication tables: Wood, OH.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the largest municipio in Puerto Rico, first quarter 2026
Area	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
Area	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	March 2026 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2025–26 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	First quarter 2026 ($)	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, first quarter 2025–26 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	12,381.8	154,771.9	0.1	--	1,654	--	3.9	--
Puerto Rico	52.9	944.5	-0.8	--	724	(3)	3.4	(3)
San Juan	12.0	245.9	-3.0	(5)	902	(5)	5.1	(5)
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. (5) This county 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, first quarter 2026
Area	Establishments	Employment March 2026	Average weekly wage ($) (1)
United States (2)	12,381,750	154,771,941	1,654
Puerto Rico	52,890	944,473	724
Adjuntas	240	1,667	429
Aguada	643	5,205	491
Aguadilla	1,045	19,730	807
Aguas Buenas	175	1,827	502
Aibonito	334	6,403	621
Añasco	326	6,440	755
Arecibo	1,223	22,044	629
Arroyo	111	2,915	727
Barceloneta	339	10,932	877
Barranquitas	395	3,256	523
Bayamón	3,105	54,195	637
Cabo Rojo	697	6,224	443
Caguas	2,439	43,875	631
Camuy	408	4,717	482
Canóvanas	413	5,789	588
Carolina	2,111	50,429	715
Cataño	321	9,609	807
Cayey	520	9,849	599
Ceiba	105	1,364	571
Ciales	161	1,925	498
Cidra	421	6,659	656
Coamo	356	3,904	514
Comerío	139	1,845	494
Corozal	346	3,631	506
Culebra	67	509	535
Dorado	770	11,801	758
Fajardo	509	9,307	601
Florida	63	1,164	478
Guánica	118	2,070	460
Guayama	510	10,175	589
Guayanilla	140	2,275	557
Guaynabo	2,730	59,281	886
Gurabo	420	8,226	753
Hatillo	660	9,821	487
Hormigueros	222	3,759	467
Humacao	843	17,002	645
Isabela	611	7,469	503
Jayuya	185	3,074	542
Juana Diaz	389	7,679	670
Juncos	289	8,917	1,464
Lajas	246	3,695	449
Lares	369	4,269	461
Las Marías	106	1,024	411
Las Piedras	333	7,244	698
Loiza	107	1,737	525
Luquillo	185	2,275	529
Manati	651	14,323	746
Maricao	62	1,270	521
Maunabo	72	1,512	894
Mayaguez	1,622	31,940	602
Moca	529	5,310	501
Morovis	235	2,962	491
Naguabo	198	2,381	567
Naranjito	361	4,170	537
Orocovis	242	3,090	465
Patillas	121	1,700	509
Peñuelas	194	2,632	608
Ponce	2,432	47,098	602
Quebradillas	277	2,773	467
Rincón	288	2,682	485
Rio Grande	431	6,776	642
Sabana Grande	234	3,605	489
Salinas	237	3,749	634
San Germán	437	7,811	533
San Juan	12,006	245,906	902
San Lorenzo	296	4,882	680
San Sebastian	701	6,534	444
Santa Isabel	267	6,942	686
Toa Alta	458	4,588	520
Toa Baja	825	15,445	613
Trujillo Alto	628	10,404	502
Utuado	304	3,516	507
Vega Alta	375	4,598	586
Vega Baja	569	8,577	660
Vieques	148	1,657	533
Villalba	184	3,698	590
Yabucoa	217	2,920	548
Yauco	469	6,199	549
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, first quarter 2026
State	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
State	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	March 2026 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2025–26	First quarter 2026 ($)	National ranking by level	Percent change, first quarter 2025–26	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	12,381.8	154,771.9	0.1	1,654	--	3.9	--
Alabama	168.7	2,121.2	0.7	1,292	38	3.6	28
Alaska	25.4	320.1	-1.3	1,519	18	4.8	6
Arizona	227.8	3,249.1	-0.6	1,495	21	4.5	10
Arkansas	109.4	1,305.2	-0.1	1,291	39	4.6	8
California	1,990.7	18,211.8	0.9	1,986	6	2.7	44
Colorado	264.7	2,848.5	-0.7	1,774	8	5.4	4
Connecticut	150.0	1,668.2	-0.4	2,080	4	5.2	5
Delaware	47.1	473.6	-0.3	1,606	15	3.1	39
District of Columbia	51.4	715.8	-4.5	2,725	1	4.5	10
Florida	894.1	9,962.8	0.0	1,518	19	4.3	13
Georgia	397.4	4,865.2	0.0	1,539	17	3.3	34
Hawaii	64.6	643.9	-0.3	1,387	29	1.7	51
Idaho	100.8	867.9	1.9	1,254	44	6.2	2
Illinois	389.4	5,992.4	0.0	1,731	9	4.1	16
Indiana	197.7	3,160.7	-0.1	1,356	30	2.7	44
Iowa	110.8	1,537.5	-0.1	1,301	36	3.9	22
Kansas	102.2	1,425.3	0.0	1,286	41	3.1	39
Kentucky	163.0	1,979.1	-0.4	1,248	45	2.9	43
Louisiana	159.6	1,917.2	-0.5	1,274	42	4.0	17
Maine	67.5	629.1	-0.5	1,327	34	3.5	30
Maryland	201.1	2,700.3	-1.7	1,676	10	2.7	44
Massachusetts	296.4	3,552.9	-0.9	2,201	3	4.8	6
Michigan	312.6	4,357.5	0.3	1,445	24	3.9	22
Minnesota	213.9	2,878.1	-0.3	1,630	14	3.8	24
Mississippi	93.3	1,162.9	-0.2	1,051	51	3.3	34
Missouri	263.5	2,890.5	0.1	1,354	31	3.4	32
Montana	63.2	506.6	0.6	1,229	48	3.5	30
Nebraska	78.9	1,008.2	-0.1	1,274	42	3.7	26
Nevada	112.8	1,575.7	2.0	1,391	28	2.1	50
New Hampshire	66.1	675.0	-1.2	1,656	12	3.0	41
New Jersey	343.4	4,247.8	0.0	1,879	7	3.3	34
New Mexico	67.1	867.4	-0.4	1,235	46	2.7	44
New York	710.5	9,743.6	-0.3	2,363	2	6.5	1
North Carolina	375.3	4,942.7	0.8	1,515	20	3.3	34
North Dakota	36.9	420.7	-0.5	1,333	33	2.4	49
Ohio	344.6	5,458.3	-0.2	1,417	26	4.0	17
Oklahoma	130.2	1,700.6	0.0	1,235	46	3.6	28
Oregon	173.5	1,952.3	-1.3	1,481	23	4.6	8
Pennsylvania	394.1	6,002.1	-0.1	1,550	16	3.3	34
Rhode Island	49.1	486.9	-0.6	1,487	22	4.2	14
South Carolina	193.1	2,326.6	0.7	1,296	37	4.0	17
South Dakota	41.1	451.7	0.2	1,211	49	4.2	14
Tennessee	228.1	3,254.1	-0.2	1,426	25	4.4	12
Texas	868.8	14,124.6	0.6	1,646	13	3.8	24
Utah	140.6	1,737.8	0.9	1,415	27	4.0	17
Vermont	33.4	304.2	-1.0	1,322	35	3.0	41
Virginia	324.8	4,118.7	-0.2	1,665	11	4.0	17
Washington	240.6	3,558.6	-0.2	1,998	5	2.7	44
West Virginia	63.0	693.3	-0.4	1,188	50	3.4	32
Wisconsin	208.0	2,902.6	0.0	1,353	32	3.7	26
Wyoming	31.8	275.2	-0.1	1,287	40	5.8	3
Puerto Rico	52.9	944.5	-0.8	724	(3)	3.4	(3)
Virgin Islands	2.9	34.9	1.2	1,054	(3)	1.5	(3)
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.

Last Modified Date: Friday, September 04, 2026

Northeast Information Office

Municipio Employment and Wages in Puerto Rico — First Quarter 2026

(U.S. Average = $1,654)