More than half of young Puerto Ricans between the ages of 17 and 25 are uncertain whether to stay on the island or leave, according to a study by the recruiting and talent management firm HR Remarkable Talent (HRRT), led by its principal investigator and founder, Katherine Díaz Carrasquillo. The study, titled "¿De aquí pa' donde? Build your future," surveyed a sample of 205 young people from high schools, vocational schools, universities, short-program education institutes and young workers.
Of those surveyed, 45.8% were unsure whether they want to stay or leave Puerto Rico, and 11.3% said they intend to leave for the United States within up to five years. Together, Díaz Carrasquillo said, that puts Puerto Rico at risk of losing about 57% of a productive workforce. The remaining 42.9% said they would stay.
The factors most likely to determine whether a young person moves to the United States or stays are quality of life and educational opportunities, followed by higher salary and better employment opportunities as the third and fourth reasons, and services such as health and energy as the fifth. Díaz Carrasquillo presented the findings at the firm’s offices in Hato Rey and said retaining young people is a multisector effort involving government, families, employers and the education market.
The firm plans to discuss the results in webinars scheduled for young people in the first quarter of the year and hopes to measure young people’s expectations about their work future again at the end of 2027.