The dynamics of exclusion have been a historical constant in Latin America, where
they have found different ways of expression. This chapter provides a descriptive overview
of one of its main forms, exclusion in labor markets. We analyzed the open unemployment
and hidden unemployment in three regional contexts with different trajectories in the labor
market: Costa Rica, Mexico, and Uruguay. The results show differences between the sociodemographic
profiles of discouragement and point to the importance of considering the
variables related to the position within the household and dependents´ care responsibilities
to understand the differences between open unemployment and hidden unemployment. In the
cases of Costa Rica and Uruguay these aspects are even more relevant than the individual
differences on education level, place of residence or age, while in Mexico the latter attributes
continue to have a great power of discrimination than the household variables.