Unemployment Rate Goes Up

Preliminary findings from the April 2018 labour force survey carried out by S.I.B. shows that the country’s unemployment rate increased  by a marginal zero point four percent, so when compared to last April’s nine percent, the unemployment rate now stands at nine point four percent.  According to the S.I.B., this resulted from an increase in unemployment rate in the Cayo and Toledo districts where persons were joining the labour force at a faster pace than at which jobs were being created.  The latest stats show that the total number of employed persons in April stands at one hundred and fifty-five thousand nine hundred and fifty and just over sixteen thousand persons are unemployed. The survey also shows that more women were joining the labour force when compared to last year, however, men still account for sixty percent of those employed.  Wendy Benavides of the S.I.B breaks down the numbers.

Wendy Benavides

Wendy Benavides, Statistician II, SIB

“In April 2018, Belize’s total population was estimated at three hundred and ninety five thousand eight hundred and eighty two; of this amount, approximately two hundred and sixty-two thousand five hundred and thirty, or sixty-six percent of Belize’s population was fourteen years and older, which is the population of interest in the labour force. Among persons in the working age population, approximately one hundred and seventy-two thousand and eighty six persons or sixty-five percent of them were in the labour force, which means they were either employed or unemployed. Over seven-thousand one hundred persons were estimated to have entered the labour force in April; this is the largest number of persons entering the labour force for the past six years. The persons not in the labour force decreased by one thousand three hundred and twenty seven over the last year. In April 2018, there were about one hundred and fifty five thousand nine hundred and fifty persons or ninety percent of the labour force were employed which represents an increase of over five thousand eight hundred persons. The number of unemployed persons who also increased by just over thirteen hundred during the same period.”