Puerto Rico sees job growth and wage increases in Q2
The “Industrial Composition by Municipality” report for the second quarter of 2023 showed a significant increase in all indicators compared to both the second quarter (Q2) of the previous year and Q1 of 2021. These indicators include total employment, total wages paid, average wage per worker and the number of establishments.
“When comparing the recently reported second quarter of 2023 with the first quarter of 2021, a substantial increase in salaried employment is confirmed, with a total of 83,838 jobs added,” said Gabriel Maldonado-González, secretary of Puerto Rico’s Labor and Human Resources Department.
The official described the trend as “consistent and validates the statistics we publish monthly in conjunction with the federal government. Additionally, there is a marked improvement in earned wages, average wage per worker and the number of reporting employers. This is not happening by chance but is a direct result of the economic upturn that Puerto Rico is experiencing under the vision and leadership of Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, which is also reflected in the lowest unemployment rate in our history and the highest labor force participation rate in more than a decade.”
For Q2 this year, the average employment in Puerto Rico was recorded at 931,718, which is 22,639 additional jobs compared to the second quarter of 2022. The industries with the highest average employment were retail trade (130,191), public administration (122,005), and health care and social assistance (96,636).
These were followed by accommodation and food services (86,197), manufacturing (83,027), administrative and waste management services (82,492), educational services (81,139), professional and technical services (40,015), and construction (34,592).
The top 10 municipalities with the highest average employment are San Juan (253,019), Guaynabo (54,651), Bayamón (54,294), Carolina (48,843), Ponce (46,672), Caguas (44,239), Mayagüez (30,720), Arecibo (22,266), Aguadilla (18,618) and Humacao (16,988).
The report also indicates that during Q2, the total wages paid by industries amounted to $7,533,938,293, an increase of $486,211,387 compared to the second quarter of 2022.
The industries with the highest total wage amounts were public administration ($1,061,688,249), manufacturing ($830,777,595), health care and social assistance ($788,762,743), retail trade ($780,565,096), educational services ($674,348,612), and professional and technical services ($509,512,268).
The municipalities with the highest total wages paid are San Juan ($2,491,798,178), Guaynabo ($546,000,830), Bayamón ($408,379,529), Carolina ($364,596,568), Caguas ($335,406,507) and Ponce ($321,010,928).
The average wage per worker reached $8,086 during Q2, an increase of $333 compared to the same period the previous year.
The industries with the highest average wages were management of companies and enterprises ($14,253); professional and technical services ($12,733); finance and insurance ($12,705); electricity, water and gas ($11,966); wholesale trade ($11,181); information ($10,311); manufacturing ($10,006); transportation and warehousing ($9,722); and public administration ($8,702).
As for the municipalities, the report found that the municipalities with the highest quarterly average wages per worker were Juncos ($12,539), Guaynabo ($9,991), San Juan ($9,848), Cataño ($9,261) and Maunabo ($9,093).
Regarding the total number of establishments, or units, the report highlighted a total of 52,729 for Q2, an increase of 3,382 units compared to the previous year.
The industries reporting the highest number of establishments were retail trade (9,541), health care and social assistance (8,099), professional and technical services (6,206), accommodation and food services (5,698), other services except public administration (3,769), and construction (2,774).
The municipalities reflecting the highest number of establishments are San Juan (12,564), Bayamón (3,156), Guaynabo (2,715), Caguas (2,443), Ponce (2,410), Carolina (2,142) and Mayagüez (1,626).
The Quarterly Employment and Salaries Census Program, part of the Division of Studies and Statistics within the Statistics Bureau of the Labor and Human Resources Department, produces the report. The data is obtained from quarterly reports submitted by employers covered by the Puerto Rico Employment Security Act.
It is one of many reports published by the Labor and Human Resources Department, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor, for the benefit of anyone interested in the Puerto Rican labor market.
