Average worker income dropped below the basic salary in March as lower-quality jobs continued to dominate Ecuador’s labor market.
New figures show the average monthly income fell to $429.50, down from $476 in March 2025. The $46.60 decline leaves earnings well under the country’s unified basic salary of $482.
The numbers highlight a persistent gap between employment and adequate pay. Many workers remain in jobs that do not provide full wages or full working hours, even as the unemployment rate stays low on paper.
• Average income: $429.50 in March 2026, down from $476 a year earlier
• Basic salary: $482
• ‘Other non-full employment’: 34.8% of the workforce, up 5.1 percentage points
• Full employment: 32.1%, compared with 34.2% a year earlier
• Unemployment rate: 2.9%
• Informal employment: 56.3%, the highest since December 2024
The share of workers in “other non-full employment” rose to 34.8%, meaning more than one in three people are earning below the basic salary, working fewer than 40 hours, or both. This category reflects limited income or reduced hours, even among those not seeking additional work.
Full employment remains stuck at roughly one-third of the workforce. By definition, these are jobs that meet the legal wage threshold and standard working hours, or provide sufficient income even with fewer hours. Most workers remain outside that benchmark.
The unemployment rate edged down to 2.9%, but the change is small and does little to shift the broader picture. Many people cannot afford to remain unemployed and instead take informal or low-paying work, keeping the jobless rate low while earnings decline.
Informal employment climbed to 56.3%, leaving more than half the workforce without stable contracts, social protections, or predictable income.
The overall picture is a labor market under pressure. Jobs are available, but many fall short of providing reliable or adequate pay. For households, that translates into tighter budgets and growing financial strain.