Lima employment climbs 6.7% in early 2026, unemployment holds at 5%

Lima's labor market showed robust growth in the first quarter of 2026, with employment rising by 6.7% from March to May. The capital city, home to one-third of Peru's population, now has 5.8 million employed individuals. This expansion occurred while the unemployment rate held steady at 5%, a marginal decrease from 5.6% recorded in the same period last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI).

The employment surge was particularly notable among older workers, with those over 45 seeing a 9.2% increase in employment. Workers aged 25 to 44 experienced a 5.2% rise, and those under 25 saw a 4.4% increase. Gains were also significant in the highly educated segment, with employment among those holding university degrees jumping by 20.5%. Conversely, employment among workers with primary education contracted by 14.5%.

Key sectors driving this growth included construction, which saw a 9.4% increase in employment, followed by commerce (7.7%), services (6.1%), and manufacturing (4.1%). The average monthly income from work in Lima Metropolitan also saw a healthy increase of 7.5%, reaching 2,317.4 soles (approximately $681 USD) compared to the previous year.

Despite the positive employment figures, the INEI report highlighted that the informality rate in Peru's labor market remains above 70%. This indicates that a substantial portion of the workforce is engaged in self-employment without formal tax contributions, a persistent challenge for the national economy.