The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic released preliminary results from the National Continuous Labour Force Survey (ENCFT) for January to March 2025, indicating continued strengthening in labour market conditions, with employment and participation at series highs alongside lower unemployment and informality. Total employment reached 5,117,548 workers, up by 176,581 net jobs compared with January to March 2024, taking the employment rate to 62.8%, a series high and 1.2 percentage points higher year on year. By employment type, formal employment increased by 188,658 while informal employment fell by 12,077, lowering the informality rate to 53.4%, the lowest in the ENCFT series. The open unemployment rate (SU1) declined to 4.9% from 5.1% a year earlier, while the broader labour underutilisation rate (SU3) fell to 9.3% from 10.9%; the labour force participation rate rose to a series high of 66.0%, up 1.1 percentage points year on year.
Central Bank of the Dominican Republic 2025-05-19
Central Bank of the Dominican Republic publishes first quarter 2025 labour force survey showing 176,581 net new jobs and record-low informality
The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic reported preliminary results from the National Continuous Labour Force Survey for Q1 2025, showing record highs in employment and participation rates, with total employment reaching 5,117,548. Formal employment increased by 188,658, reducing the informality rate to 53.4%, while the open unemployment rate decreased to 4.9%. The labour force participation rate rose to 66.0%, and the broader labour underutilisation rate fell to 9.3%.