Puerto Rico unemployment rate jumped to 15.4% in December from 14.7% in November.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the result Tuesday.
The unemployment rate jump was primarily due to an increase in the number of people entering the labor force and being declared unemployed. The number of unemployed rose 5.6% from November to December. The number of employed declined 0.4% in the same period.
The number of people with jobs declined by 4,000 and the number counted as unemployed gained 9,800.
The commonwealth unemployment rate had fallen every month from January 2013 to June and then climbed every month from June to October. It was 14.6% in January 2013 and 13.2% in June. The rate was stable from October to November.
Puerto Rico's economic activity index rose for three consecutive months September through November.
