Only 22% of the women surveyed hold a supervisory position

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IEPR
19 December 2025

Only 22% of the women surveyed hold a supervisory position

This is according to the results of the study on the needs of working women, in which 13,283 people participated.

San Juan, Puerto Rico. December 6, 2023 - The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics and the Office of the Women's Attorney presented the results of the study on the Needs of Working Women, a collaboration that involved the participation of 13,283 people surveyed. This joint effort aimed at identifying the needs and challenges of working women, basing the conclusions on empirical evidence and thus providing a basis for identifying possible solutions to the different situations faced by working women in Puerto Rico.

Under the slogan “We are all working women”, the electronic questionnaire was aimed at working women in different sectors, including the public and private sectors, housewives, caregivers, businesswomen and those who work independently. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. The topics addressed in the survey included the work situation, work environment, breastfeeding, motherhood, household structure and needs, quality of life, physical and emotional health.

From the results of the study, which is available by accessing https://estadisticas.pr/en/Necesidades-Mujer the following are highlighted:

Employment status:

  • 95% of the women workers surveyed had one or more jobs.
  • 38% worked in an agency or branch of government.
  • 22% held supervisory positions.
  • 44% indicated that they had not received guidance on the Affirmative Action Plan, followed by 36% who were not sure.

Breastfeeding:

  • 47% indicated that their place of employment does not have a nursing room.
  • 64% of the women who used the nursing room, provided by the employer, considered that the time offered was not adequate.

Maternity:

  • 72% of the pregnant women surveyed indicated that the employer always provided them with flexibility to attend medical appointments and treat symptoms during pregnancy.

Structures and needs of the house and home:

  • 47% of working women indicated that they were the legitimate owner and were still paying their mortgage on their homes.
  • 57% had 1 to 2 sons or daughters.

Need for a caregiver:

  • 1 in 3 (34%) expressed a need for a caregiver for their children, dependents or family members.

Quality of life, physical and emotional health:

  • The majority indicated that they had a good level of emotional and physical health.
  • 63% experience or have experienced a “double working day”.
  • 51% indicated that painful menstruation disables them 1 to 2 days a month.

Gender-based violence:

  • 34% reported having been a victim of workplace harassment.
  • 24 percent reported having been a victim of domestic violence.
  • 1 in 4 (24%) experienced gender discrimination.

Socio-demographic characteristics:

  • Forty-six percent were 50 years of age or older.
  • 73% had reached an academic level of baccalaureate and/or master's degree.
  • 70% had a household income equal to or less than $41,500 per year.

“I am grateful to the thousands of women who participated in this important study. Its detailed input will allow us to take action and create initiatives aimed at companies and employers so that they can improve and reinforce the areas of greatest need. In our office, we continue to be in the best position to help women and ensure that their rights are fulfilled in the personal and work environment,” said the acting attorney, Madeline Bermudez.

“The data collected in this study are essential to help us understand the realities that women face in the workplace. Statistical objectivity is essential for the progress of our society, and these data are a valuable tool for evidence-based decision-making. This information could help to effectively understand the specific needs of working women, thus contributing to the construction of more equitable and just working environments,” said Dr. Orville M. Disdier Flores, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.

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The Institute of Statistics publishes the Puerto Rico Lag Index

San Juan, Puerto Rico — November 6, 2025 — The Institute of Statistics released the results of the Backwater Index for Puerto Rico, a study that offers a comprehensive look at the social and economic situation of Puerto Rico's municipalities. This index constitutes an analysis and planning tool that seeks to promote dialogue, reflection and informed action for the benefit of Puerto Rico's socioeconomic development.

El Lagging Index measures a multidimensional phenomenon using a summary data that allows us to compare the relative performance of municipalities in two dimensions: Economic Mobility and Demography. Five main variables were considered in its design: the percentage of people below the poverty level, the unemployment rate, the percentage of high school graduates (in a population aged 18 and over), the dependency rate by age and the median age.

The index was calculated for two comparative periods: 2014-2018 and 2019-2023, allowing us to observe changes in scores and relative positions of municipalities over time. Index values fluctuate between 0 and 1, with a higher score representing a higher relative level of lagging.

The analysis reveals that 42 municipalities showed a decrease in their score of the Lagging Index, which suggests a relative improvement in the conditions measured by the indicator. Of these, 22 municipalities registered a reduction of more than 5%. In the same way, there are concentrations of municipalities with higher scores —indicating greater relative lagging— in the center, south, southwest and southeast regions of Puerto Rico, while several municipalities in the metropolitan area and adjacent to it showed progress compared to the rest of the archipelago.

The municipalities of Culebra, Toa Alta, Gurabo, Juncos, Dorado, Trujillo Alto, Santa Isabel, Canóvanas, Toa Baja and Las Piedras performed better in their relative index in the last period analyzed (2019-2023). However, the Institute stresses that the index is a relative measure and not an absolute measure, so the results must be analyzed within the context and used as a basis for the development of more specific analyses.

“The value of the index is not in pointing out which municipality is better or worse, but in providing an objective basis for analysis, planning and decision-making. It is an opportunity for mayors and officials who participate in decision-making to know their social and economic reality and to develop strategies that respond to the specific needs of their municipalities,” said Dr. Ronald Hernández, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico.

For the elaboration of the Lagging Index, the Institute applied rigorous statistical methods —including exploratory factor analysis, normalization and aggregation of variables—using data from the five-year estimates of the Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau And the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Data

Table 1 shows the results of the Lagging Index at the municipal level for the periods 2014 - 2018 and 2019 - 2023. The table is ordered according to the position of the municipalities based on their index value for the period 2019 — 2023. The higher the index score, the worse or less favorable the outcome of the phenomenon.

Table 1: Lagging Index Results

According to Dr. Hernández, the results of the study highlight the need to design comprehensive public policies that address both the economic aspects and the demographic transformations of Puerto Rico. “The improvements seen in several municipalities are encouraging, but it is essential that socio-economic development efforts are integrated with strategies to respond to the ongoing demographic transition. This includes strengthening geriatric health services, care policies, retention of young people and urban planning adapted to long-lived communities,” said the Institute.”

Hernández indicated that, the Municipal Backwater Index seeks to promote an evidence-based dialogue between the different sectors of Puerto Rico. Its purpose is to serve as a planning and evaluation instrument, which facilitates the identification of areas of opportunity and guides investment decisions, municipal planning and public policy at the central and local levels.”

The full report of the Municipal Backwater Index is available in: Backwater Index for Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity responsible for coordinating the Government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable, and have quick and universal access.

For more information you can write to preguntas@estadisticas.pr. They can also follow social networks through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), X (@EstadisticasPR), LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) and Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) accounts.

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