During his tenure, Puerto Rico achieved the lowest unemployment rate in the historical series as tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Saavedra earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (2008) from the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, graduating magna cum laude.
[3] Saavedra clerked in the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico for Associate Justice Mildred Pabón Charneco, after graduating Law School.
While at O'Neill & Borges, he handled several labor and employment law matters, including cases of unjustified terminations, national origin discrimination and Americans with Disabilities Act claims.
[2] During his tenure, several changes in labor regulations took place; Saavedra oversaw the first raise in over twenty years of Puerto Rico's Unemployment insurance weekly benefits.
[10] Saavedra also led the Puerto Rico Government's implementation concerning the Supreme Court of the United States' decision in Janus v. AFSCME, which altered the legal landscape of labor unions in the public sector.
As part of the devastation, thousands of Puerto Rican lost their jobs and unemployment claims rose to the highest numbers recorded in the island's history.
[18] After Governor Rosselló resigned, Saavedra remained in public service and joined the Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority of Puerto Rico (FAFAA), as Chief Legal Officer.