Dominican Republic exceeds Latin American average in employment quality

The Dominican Republic has outperformed the Latin American average in key indicators of employment quality and formalization, according to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Best Jobs Index 2026.

During a regional policy dialogue in Panama, Labor Minister Eddy Olivares Ortega reported that the country achieved a score of 60.6 in 2024, surpassing the regional average of 58.0. Specifically, the Dominican Republic scored 45.3 points in employment quality compared to the regional average of 40.6, and 33.5 points in formalization compared to 30.8.

National data supports these findings. The Continuous Labor Force Survey (ENCFT) indicates that the total informality rate decreased from 55.5% in 2024 to 53.8% by the second quarter of 2026. Additionally, the proportion of formal employment rose from 41.9% in 2021 to 45.9% at the end of 2025. Minister Olivares Ortega emphasized that the nation's goal is to ensure employment growth is accompanied by labor rights and social protection.