According to Hoy newspaper, the Central Bank’s half-year report indicates that unemployment in the Dominican Republic is at 17% — one of the highest rates in Latin America. Unemployment is particularly high in the south-western region of the country (24.4%), the municipality of Santo Domingo North, which is north of the capital city (21.5%), and Valdesia (21.1%). Of the jobless, 54.6% have at most only received a sixth-grade education. Of the employed, 45% work in companies with less than five employees, or micro-businesses. The report highlights that these jobs often lack any social benefits. Unemployment among women stands at 28.6%, compared to that of men at 9.8%. Of the total number of women in the work force, 47.3% are employed in the informal sector, compared to 56.5% of the men.