At a glance, unemployment stands at 14.0% - a notable decrease from peak unemployment at 21.9% in 2021.

The CSO noted a “significant upturn” in the number of citizens engaging in the labour market since 2020.

“The employed labour force saw a significant upturn from 75,016 in 2020 to 97,394 in 2023. A closer look reveals a higher percentage increase in employed males than females, although both showed positive momentum. The employment rate followed a similar trend, dipping slightly in 2021 to 78.1% from 78.3% in 2020, before rising sharply to 86.0% in 2023, which indicates a strengthening job market,” the report said.

The report also indicates that more citizens are actively looking for a job. This fact, as the CSO suggests, may point to a more encouraged workforce as citizens have more employment opportunities available to them.

“Notably, the number of non-seekers – those unemployed but not actively looking for work – has also decreased over the years, from 5,168 in 2020 to 1,937 in 2023,” the report disclosed.

Of concern are the numbers of unemployed women in Saint Lucia. Despite the increase in employment, more women than men remain unemployed.

“Throughout the period from 2020 to 2023, females consistently faced higher unemployment rates than males. In 2020, the unemployment rates were 18.6% for males and 24.9% for females. By 2023, the rates decreased to 11.2% for males and 17.3% for females. Despite the improvement, the disparity between genders remains, with female unemployment rates being 6.1 percentage points higher than those for males in 2023.”

Youth unemployment has also shown a decrease, pointing to possible better entry-level and training opportunities.

“Youth unemployment, showed signs of improvement, dropping from 38.2% in 2020 to 25.0% in 2023.”

The CSO records that 97,394 Saint Lucians are employed in all.