Employment in Caribbean
Caribbean: Employment was 18,429 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in Caribbean, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Caribbean recorded 18,429 for employment in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Caribbean peaked at 18,429 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11,647, in 1991.
Caribbean ranks 80th of 87 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 Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 11,647 | — |
| 1992 | 11,794 | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 11,983 | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 12,202 | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 12,429 | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 12,680 | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 12,933 | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 13,170 | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 13,393 | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 13,580 | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 13,714 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 13,939 | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 14,121 | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 14,406 | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 14,595 | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 14,870 | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 15,054 | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 15,303 | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 15,325 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 15,417 | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 15,621 | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 15,869 | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 16,049 | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 16,311 | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 16,717 | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 16,935 | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 17,205 | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 17,494 | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 17,754 | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 17,024 | -4.1% |
| 2021 | 17,473 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 17,936 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 18,200 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 18,305 | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 18,429 | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12,470 | 11,647 | 13,393 | 9 |
| 2000s | 14,491 | 13,580 | 15,325 | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,537 | 15,417 | 17,754 | 10 |
| 2020s | 17,895 | 17,024 | 18,429 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Caribbean
More work & labour data for Caribbean
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 18,305 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5991 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5887 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6092 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.6 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.2651 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 39,824 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 37,345 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 19,040 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 8,434 1000 No (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Caribbean?
- Employment in Caribbean was 18,429 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 18,429 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 11,647 in 1991.
- How does Caribbean rank for employment?
- Caribbean ranks 80th out of 87 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Caribbean 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.