Unemployment Rate in North America 2026
Job-market conditions differ widely across North America, from major economies to smaller Caribbean and Central American markets. This page presents the latest regional rankings, interactive map, comparison tools, and country-level figures for examining where unemployment is highest and lowest.
See Also:
Unemployment Rate in North American Countries
| # | Country | Unemployment Rate | Global Rank | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇻🇨Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
18.1% | 13 | North America |
| 2 | 🇭🇹Haiti |
15.1% | 18 | North America |
| 3 | 🇻🇮U.S. Virgin Islands |
12.1% | 27 | North America |
| 4 | 🇱🇨Saint Lucia |
11% | 34 | North America |
| 5 | 🇵🇦Panama |
10.4% | 36 | North America |
| 6 | 🇧🇸Bahamas |
9.4% | 42 | North America |
| 7 | 🇨🇷Costa Rica |
7% | 61 | North America |
| 8 | 🇧🇧Barbados |
6.8% | 63 | North America |
| 9 | 🇭🇳Honduras |
6.8% | 65 | North America |
| 10 | 🇨🇦Canada |
6.5% | 67 | North America |
| 11 | 🇵🇷Puerto Rico |
6% | 75 | North America |
| 12 | 🇩🇴Dominican Republic |
5.3% | 91 | North America |
| 13 | 🇯🇲Jamaica |
4.9% | 103 | North America |
| 14 | 🇺🇸United States |
4.4% | 116 | North America |
| 15 | 🇦🇼Aruba |
4.3% | 119 | North America |
| 16 | 🇸🇻El Salvador |
4.3% | 120 | North America |
| 17 | 🇹🇹Trinidad and Tobago |
4.2% | 126 | North America |
| 18 | 🇲🇽Mexico |
2.7% | 163 | North America |
| 19 | 🇳🇮Nicaragua |
2.7% | 164 | North America |
| 20 | 🇧🇿Belize |
2.6% | 166 | North America |
| 21 | 🇬🇹Guatemala |
2.3% | 171 | North America |
| 22 | 🇨🇺Cuba |
1.6% | 182 | North America |
Key Findings
Important employment patterns and country comparisons from the unemployment rate rankings across North America.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Has the Highest Unemployment Rate
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ranks first with an unemployment rate of 18.1%.
- It stands three percentage points above Haiti, which reports 15.1%.
Five Economies Report Double-Digit Unemployment
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Haiti, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saint Lucia, and Panama all record rates above 10%.
- Panama completes this group with an unemployment rate of 10.4%.
Caribbean Economies Dominate the Highest-Ranked Group
- Several of the highest unemployment rates belong to Caribbean countries and territories, including Haiti, Saint Lucia, the Bahamas, Barbados, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- This pattern shows that labor-market pressure is concentrated in parts of the Caribbean within this dataset.
Canada Records Higher Unemployment Than the United States
- Canada reports 6.5%, compared with the United States at 4.4%.
- Canada ranks tenth in the region, while the United States ranks fourteenth.
Central American Rates Vary Considerably
- Panama records 10.4%, Costa Rica 7%, Honduras 6.8%, and El Salvador 4.3%.
- Guatemala reports a much lower rate of 2.3%.
Mexico Reports Relatively Low Unemployment
- Mexico records 2.7%, placing it among the lower-ranked economies in North America.
- Nicaragua reports the same rate, while Belize follows at 2.6%.
Cuba Has the Lowest Unemployment Rate
- Cuba ranks last with a reported unemployment rate of 1.6%.
- Guatemala follows at 2.3%, while Belize records 2.6%.
The Regional Spread Reaches 16.5 Percentage Points
- The difference between the highest and lowest rates is 16.5 percentage points.
- This wide gap reflects very different labor-market structures, participation levels, and economic conditions across the region.
Unemployment Rate in North America Comparison
The comparison chart places North American unemployment rates side by side, making differences between countries and territories easier to evaluate. It highlights economies facing elevated joblessness as well as those reporting comparatively low unemployment.
Unemployment in North America
Top 10 Countries with the Highest Unemployment Rates in North America
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — 18.1%
- Haiti — 15.1%
- U.S. Virgin Islands — 12.1%
- Saint Lucia — 11%
- Panama — 10.4%
- Bahamas — 9.4%
- Costa Rica — 7%
- Barbados — 6.8%
- Honduras — 6.8%
- Canada — 6.5%
Top 10 Countries with the Lowest Unemployment Rates in North America
- Cuba — 1.6%
- Guatemala — 2.3%
- Belize — 2.6%
- Mexico — 2.7%
- Nicaragua — 2.7%
- Trinidad and Tobago — 4.2%
- Aruba — 4.3%
- El Salvador — 4.3%
- United States — 4.4%
- Jamaica — 4.9%
Definitions & Methodology
What is the unemployment rate in North America?
The unemployment rate in North America compares the percentage of the labor force without employment across countries and territories in the region.
How are countries ranked?
Countries are arranged from the highest to the lowest reported unemployment rate. Higher values indicate that a larger share of the labor force is classified as unemployed.
Who is considered unemployed?
An unemployed person is generally someone without work who is available to begin employment and actively seeking a job according to the applicable statistical definition.
Why do unemployment rates vary across North America?
Differences may reflect economic growth, tourism dependence, migration, education, investment, labor-market policies, industrial structure, and exposure to external economic shocks.
Why can small island economies have high unemployment?
Smaller economies may depend heavily on tourism, seasonal work, public employment, and a limited number of industries. Economic disruptions can therefore have a large effect on available jobs.
Does low unemployment always indicate a strong labor market?
Not necessarily. Low official unemployment may coexist with informal work, underemployment, limited working hours, low wages, or low labor-force participation.
How should the rankings be interpreted?
Comparisons should account for reporting periods, survey design, informal employment, labor-force participation, territorial coverage, and differences in national statistical methods.
Unemployment Rate in North America FAQs
Which country has the highest unemployment rate in North America?
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has the highest reported unemployment rate at 18.1%.
Which countries have the highest unemployment rates in North America?
The five highest rates belong to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Haiti, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saint Lucia, and Panama.
What is the unemployment rate in the United States?
The United States reports an unemployment rate of 4.4%.
What is Canada’s unemployment rate?
Canada records an unemployment rate of 6.5%, ranking tenth in North America.
What is Mexico’s unemployment rate?
Mexico reports an unemployment rate of 2.7%.
Which country has the lowest unemployment rate in North America?
Cuba has the lowest reported unemployment rate at 1.6%.
Why do unemployment rates differ across North America?
Differences may result from tourism dependence, economic structure, migration, education, investment, labor policies, demographics, and exposure to regional or global economic shocks.