The sectors registered increases in the number of companies, in average wages, and maintain an important presence in the country's formal employment.
SANTO DOMINGO.- Construction and real estate activities strengthened their presence within the Dominican business fabric during 2025, with growth in the number of companies, improvements in average remuneration and a significant share of formal employment, according to the most recent bulletin of the Business Directory published by the National Statistics Office.
The report for the fourth quarter of 2025, released two days ago by the ONE, reveals that the country reached 127,281 formal employing companies, representing a year-on-year growth of 5.8% compared to the same period in 2024.
Taking as a reference that number of formal employers registered in the country during the period, the construction and real estate sectors concentrate a significant portion of the Dominican business fabric.
Construction, with 7.2% of the total number of companies, is equivalent to approximately 9,160 companies, while real estate activities, with 6.1%, represent around 7,760 companies.
Together, both sectors comprise approximately 16,900 formal businesses, reflecting their weight within the national productive structure and their link to urban development, infrastructure investment, and the expansion of the real estate market, according to data from the National Statistics Office.
More formal employment
The construction and real estate sectors also show a significant contribution to formal employment in the country during the fourth quarter of 2025.
The construction sector had 89,784 jobs at the end of the year, while real estate activities exceeded 50,605 jobs, according to the ONE Business Directory bulletin.
In terms of workforce composition, construction remains a predominantly male activity, with 75.7% of jobs held by men and 24.3% by women. In contrast, the real estate sector shows greater female participation, with 38.0% women compared to 62.0% men.
Stable construction
The construction sector accounted for 7.2% of all formal businesses in 2025, slightly above the 7.1% recorded in 2024, reflecting a stability in the participation of this sector within the business fabric.
Remuneration in the sector also registered an increase, according to the document, which indicates that the average monthly salary went from RD$34,262 in the fourth quarter of 2024 to RD$38,635 in the same period of 2025, representing an increase of approximately 12.8%.
According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, construction continues to be one of the activities with the greatest impact on private investment and the country's economic dynamism, due to its link with infrastructure development, housing projects and urban expansion.
Increased presence of real estate agencies
The real estate sector also showed progress during the period analyzed. Its share of all formal businesses increased from 5.9% in 2024 to 6.1% in 2025, demonstrating a rise in the number of firms engaged in buying, selling, renting, and managing properties.
Remuneration also experienced growth, with the average monthly salary in real estate activities reaching RD$33,194 in the fourth quarter of 2025, compared to RD$30,255 recorded in the same period of 2024, representing an approximate increase of 9.7%.
Radiography
The Business Directory is a statistical exercise that presents the set of formally established employing companies in the Dominican Republic, compiled from updated and validated administrative records.
The bulletin characterizes companies according to economic activity, company size, geographical location, employment and remuneration.
The figures correspond to the period October-December 2025, compared with the same quarter of 2024, and reflect the stock of active companies registered month by month.
The ONE explains that the cumulative total includes new companies registered during the period and excludes those that have remained for twelve consecutive months without reporting activity, being considered outside the directory due to cessation of operations.
Participation and working conditions in construction and real estate (2024–2025)
| Indicator | Construction | Real Estate Agencies |
| Participation in the total number of companies 2024 | 7.1% | 5.9% |
| Participation in the total number of companies 2025 | 7.2% | 6.1% |
| Average monthly salary 2024 | RD$34,262 | RD$30,255 |
| Average monthly salary 2025 | RD$38,635 | RD$33,194 |
| Year-on-year salary growth | 12.8% | 9.7% |
| Male employment | 75.7% | 62.0% |
| Female employment | 24.3% | 38.0% |
Source: National Statistics Office, Business Directory, fourth quarter 2025.
Investment and urban development
The business performance of the construction and real estate market occurs in a context where these activities are positioned as pillars of the Dominican economy.
According to the Central Bank, construction maintains a high impact on gross fixed capital formation, due to its close relationship with infrastructure, housing and tourism development projects.
Likewise, urban growth in the country's main economic centers has driven the expansion of services linked to the real estate market, such as brokerage, property management and rentals.
The dynamism of these activities is especially reflected in the National District, Santo Domingo and Santiago, where the largest number of formal companies and a large part of the urban and residential development projects are concentrated.
Overall, the data from the Business Directory shows that, despite the challenges of the economic cycle, construction and real estate activities continue to expand their business base, generate employment and register salary improvements, consolidating themselves as key sectors in the Dominican productive structure.
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