How many people work in the Caribbean Netherlands?
In 2022, the size of Bonaire’s working-age population (all persons aged 15 to 74 years) was slightly over 17.7 thousand, of whom 72.5 percent were in employment. On St Eustatius, 72.9 percent of the 2.5 thousand strong working age population were in work, on Saba 67.0 percent of 1.5 thousand.
| Island | Age | Net labour participation rate |
|---|---|---|
| Bonaire | Total, Bonaire | 72.5 |
| Bonaire | 15 to 24 yrs, Bonaire | 49.5 |
| Bonaire | 25 to 44 yrs, Bonaire | 90.6 |
| Bonaire | 45 to 74 yrs, Bonaire | 64.5 |
| St Eustatius | Total, St Eustatius | 72.9 |
| St Eustatius | 15 to 24 yrs, St Eustatius | 30.2 |
| St Eustatius | 25 to 44 yrs, St Eustatius | 88.4 |
| St Eustatius | 45 to 74 yrs, St Eustatius | 73.2 |
| Saba | Total, Saba | 67.0 |
| Saba | 15 to 24 yrs, Saba | 18.4 |
| Saba | 25 to 44 yrs, Saba | 80.1 |
| Saba | 45 to 74 yrs, Saba | 66.7 |
On all three islands, labour force participation was relatively low among young people (15 to 24 years). Especially so on Saba, because of its relatively large population of medical students. Less than one out of five in this age group were working. On Bonaire, almost half of the young population were in employment, on St Eustatius slightly more than 30 percent. Participation was highest among people aged 25 to 44 years. In the senior age group (45 to 74 years), over 60 percent were in employment.
Caribbean Netherlands: 1 out of 6 work in construction
On all three islands, public administration and services, construction and education rank among the top 5 of economic activities with the largest shares of workers. On both St Eustatius and Saba, public administration and services was the economic activity with the largest share of the working population. On Bonaire, construction has the largest share of workers, followed by accommodation and food services.
Unemployment on the islands was relatively low in 2022, with rates ranging from 3.9 percent on St Eustatius to 2.5 percent on Saba. Bonaire had a 3.0-percent unemployment rate, equivalent to 390 unemployed.
| Construction | Accommodation and food services | Public administration and services | Education | Health and social work activities | Wholesale and retail trade | Manufacturing | Renting and other business support | Transportation and storage | Culture, sports and recreation | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonaire | 16.9 | 13.7 | 10.7 | 10.9 | 9.2 | 8.6 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 4.4 | 2.8 | 12.1 |
| St Eustatius | 13.6 | 8.8 | 16.2 | 11.5 | 7.3 | 8.3 | 12.8 | 6.4 | 5.1 | 1.7 | 8.3 |
| Saba | 10.7 | 6.8 | 28.7 | 18.5 | 8.8 | 7.0 | 5.4 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 8.6 |
Bonaire: More than 7 out of 10 in working-age population are working
Bonaire has by far the largest working-age population: 17.7 thousand. Just under 4.5 thousand of them were not part of the local labour force: they were either not looking for work or not available. In most cases, they were neither of the two. A large group (39 percent) were unwilling or unable to work due to old age or retirement. For 18 percent of those outside the labour force – young residents in particular – education was the predominant reason why they were not looking for work or unavailable. Other, smaller, groups included people unable to work due to a disability or poor health (15 percent), or because they had to take care of their families (8 percent).
The overall picture on the other two islands is similar to the situation on Bonaire, with the following exception: on Saba, 4 in 10 were not looking for work or unavailable because of education.
| Not available or not seeking work |
. |
|---|---|
| Available but not seeking work |
290 |
| Seeking work but not available |
30 |
| Neither available nor seeking work |
. |
| Willing to work | 250 |
| Not willing/able to work due to: |
. |
| Care | 350 |
| Education | 810 |
| Retirement/old age | 1750 |
| Illness, disability, poor health |
650 |
| Other reason | 340 |
More information about labour force participation in the Caribbean Netherlands