El Salvador’s construction and real estate sectors continue to lead national economic growth, generating 166,000 jobs as of mid-2025, according to data released by the San Salvador Metropolitan Area Planning Office (OPAMSS). These sectors remain among the most dynamic and impactful during President Nayib Bukele’s administration.

Luis Rodríguez, executive director of OPAMSS, emphasized the scale and momentum of job creation in these industries. “We are reaching 166,000 jobs in the construction and real estate sector,” he stated. “What’s also important is that women’s participation has grown to just over 8%, a significant milestone that had not been reached before and continues to rise.”

The figures come from a joint analysis between OPAMSS, the private sector, and the Salvadoran Chamber of Construction (Casalco), reflecting the sustained expansion of infrastructure and urban development throughout the country.

Rodríguez made these remarks during the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the Integration Logistics Park (PLI) in Apopa, a large-scale mixed-use development in the San Salvador Oeste district. The PLI is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs throughout its various phases, further contributing to the sector’s momentum.

According to the 2025 Employment Trends Report by El Salvador’s Ministry of Labor, the country recorded 1,022,167 formal jobs as of January—an increase of 22,148 jobs compared to January 2024, representing 2.2% year-on-year growth.

The report also identified real estate, construction, agriculture, hunting, forestry, and fishing as key drivers of economic activity and job creation, underlining the strategic role of infrastructure and development in El Salvador’s evolving labor landscape.