The jobs challenge: why better work means better lives in Latin America and the Caribbean Carlos Rodríguez CastelánLuis Eduardo CastellanosCatalina Garcia GarciaDiana Sanchez CastroHernan Winkler January 14, 2026 This page in: English Español © 2026 World Bank Group,

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/latinamerica/mejores-empleos-significan-mejores-vidas-america-latina Poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is expected to fall to its lowest level on record in 2025. Yet one in four people in the region remains poor, and the reduction has been slow amid weak economic growth. The East Asia and Pacific region is expected to reach nearly the same poverty rate by 2025, but starting from a much higher baseline of 45.4 percent in 2016, compared to LAC's 32.8 percent. © 2026 World Bank Group,