An opinion piece by Leslie Adames reports that Puerto Rico’s private sector is losing momentum in job creation.
As a result, net private-sector job growth fell from an average of 8,263 jobs per quarter between 2021-2023 to just 1,018 in 2024-2025. In the last six months of 2025, the balance turned negative, with 8,821 more jobs lost than created. In 2025, business openings outpaced closures (6,229 versus 5,773, a net of 456), but their contribution to employment was smaller than in prior years.
The author frames the slowdown as concerning because it limits opportunities for job seekers hoping to improve their income and living conditions.