Puerto Rico has surged to the top of the global job market, ranking first worldwide in employer hiring intentions for the third quarter of this year. According to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, the island shared the top global spot exclusively with India, outpacing major international economies and marking a historic milestone for the […]
Puerto Rico has surged to the top of the global job market, ranking first worldwide in employer hiring intentions for the third quarter of this year. According to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, the island shared the top global spot exclusively with India, outpacing major international economies and marking a historic milestone for the local labor market.
The survey, which evaluated 42 international locations, reveals that Puerto Rico recorded a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of 48% for the period spanning July to September. This puts the island ahead of the United States at 45%, as well as Brazil and the United Kingdom, both at 37%. Puerto Rico’s booming outlook stands in stark contrast to the global average of 26% and is far ahead of the nations facing the steepest labor contractions, including Slovakia at -6%, Hong Kong at -9%, and Romania at -12%.
Melissa Rivera Roena, General Manager of ManpowerGroup Puerto Rico, emphasized the historic nature of these findings. She noted that hiring expectations skyrocketed by 30 percentage points compared to the same period last year, and by 16 percentage points relative to the second quarter of this year. Rivera Roena stated that this quarter not only marks Puerto Rico’s global leadership but also reflects the highest hiring outlook observed since ManpowerGroup began conducting the survey on the island four years ago. By comparison, Puerto Rico ranked fifth globally in June 2025 with an 18% outlook, while hiring intentions for 2023 and 2022 stood at 36% and 32%, respectively.
A closer look at local data shows that 60% of Puerto Rican employers plan to expand their workforce in the coming months, while 25% expect no changes, 12% plan reductions, and 3% remain undecided. Rivera Roena expressed optimism about the economy, noting that positive hiring expectations are expected across nearly all measured economic sectors and geographic regions.
This hiring optimism is led heavily by the manufacturing sector, which posted a dominant 78% hiring intention, closely followed by the information technology sector, which showed the most significant growth at 74%. Other sectors driving the expansion include trade and logistics at 58%, hospitality at 46%, finance and insurance at 45%, and construction and real estate at 41%. Conversely, a few industries experienced contractions and double-digit declines compared to last year. Professional, scientific, and technical services fell to 26%, natural resources dropped to 25%, and the public health and social services sector stalled at just 1%.
Geographically, the Central region is projected to be the most active labor market on the island with a 55% outlook, followed closely by the Metro region at 52% and the North at 42%. The West and East regions reported moderate intentions at 41% and 34%, respectively, while the South registered the lowest regional outlook at 24%. Corporate demand also varies sharply by company size. Mid-market corporations with 250 to 999 employees reported the highest hiring optimism at 79%, followed by businesses with 50 to 249 employees at 54%. In stark contrast, mid-sized companies with 10 to 49 employees reported a sharp contraction at -11%, while micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 employees stood at 15%. Larger enterprises with 1,000 to 4,999 workers and those with over 5,000 employees projected more conservative outlooks of 18% and 24%.
As employers aggressively compete for talent in this high-demand environment, the survey highlights the specific technical and interpersonal skills for which Puerto Rican companies are willing to pay a premium. In terms of technical expertise, employers are most willing to offer higher salaries for front-office and customer service roles at 79%, human resources at 77%, and administration, office support, operations, and logistics, all of which hovered around 76%. Sales and marketing followed at 75%, while technical competencies in artificial intelligence model development, general AI usage, and information technology commanded a 72% to 74% premium.
When it comes to soft skills, employers place an even higher financial premium on interpersonal capabilities. Communication, collaboration, and teamwork led the demand, with 84% of employers willing to pay more for these traits. This was followed closely by adaptability and a desire to learn at 83%, professionalism and ethics at 83%, time management at 82%, and critical thinking at 81%.
Finally, the survey explored the evolving relationship between Artificial Intelligence and human resources. While the adoption of automated recruitment tools is rising—with a majority of local companies utilizing AI for skill mapping, resume screening, and drafting job descriptions—Puerto Rican employers still heavily favor human oversight. Seventy-seven percent of employers stated they still prefer a manual, professional review of resumes, ensuring that humans maintain final authority over hiring decisions.
The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey was conducted using a representative sample of 500 non-client employers across Puerto Rico, ensuring independent and transparent results for the island’s business community.
