Puerto Rico Loses Most Workers in 21 Years After Hurricane

Puerto Rico employers reduced payrolls in October by the most in 21 years after Hurricane Maria devastated the island and knocked out power for weeks to most of the territory, Labor Department figures showed Friday.

The drop totaled 3.6 percent of payrolls, or 31,600 people -- the biggest drop since 1996 -- reducing nonfarm employment to 842,000, the lowest level since 1991. The report provides the most complete look at Maria’s impact on Puerto Rico’s job market, after storm damage prevented the collection of September figures that would have normally been released last month. The Labor Department said response rates from Puerto Rico employers for October were below average.