Employment in Barbados
Barbados: Employment was 141.73 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in Barbados, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Barbados recorded 141.73 for employment in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Barbados peaked at 142.1 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 102.92, in 1993.
Barbados ranks 178th of 188 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in Barbados, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 104.34 | — |
| 1992 | 103.67 | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 102.92 | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 106.35 | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 112.93 | +6.2% |
| 1996 | 118.93 | +5.3% |
| 1997 | 119.69 | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 123.45 | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 126.56 | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 128.67 | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 128.62 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 129.07 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 129.16 | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 133.48 | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 135 | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 136.33 | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 139.08 | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 138.59 | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 136.05 | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 135.22 | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 134.6 | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 132.56 | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 134.72 | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 130.64 | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 133.07 | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 137.43 | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 137.79 | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 137.93 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 136.72 | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 130.24 | -4.7% |
| 2021 | 128.6 | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 140.76 | +9.5% |
| 2023 | 141.56 | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 142.1 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 141.73 | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 113.2 | 102.92 | 126.56 | 9 |
| 2000s | 133.4 | 128.62 | 139.08 | 10 |
| 2010s | 135.07 | 130.64 | 137.93 | 10 |
| 2020s | 137.5 | 128.6 | 142.1 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Barbados
- 175 Cape Verde 199.41 compare
- 176 Djibouti 197.99 compare
- 177 Belize 167.97 compare
- 179 New Caledonia 116.8 compare
- 180 Vanuatu 114.7 compare
- 181 French Polynesia 106.56 compare
More work & labour data for Barbados
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7079 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6853 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7302 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9854 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8257 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 114.42 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 165.89 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 97.75 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 96.95 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 194.7 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Barbados?
- Employment in Barbados was 141.73 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Barbados?
- The highest recorded value was 142.1 in 2024.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Barbados?
- The lowest recorded value was 102.92 in 1993.
- How does Barbados rank for employment?
- Barbados ranks 178th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Barbados?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Barbados data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.