The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE percentage of unemployed Bahamians is lower than pre-pandemic rates, dropping from 9.5 percent in May 2019 to 8.8 percent this year, according to the May 2023 report released by the Bahamas National Statistical Institute on Friday.

Officials of BNSI announced the preliminary results of the latest Labour Force survey on Friday afternoon, the first conducted in more than three years. The full report will be released on the department’s website on July 15.

The survey revealed that 19,290 of 219,465 members of the labour force were unemployed as of May this year. Of that number, 119,425 women and 100,040 men, ages 15 and over were surveyed. The category with the highest age groups being those 25-44 years of age.

Cypreanna Winters, BNSI assistant director responsible for labour force statistics, spoke about the unemployment rate, which was examined by sex, age, and educational attainment.

“In New Providence, the rate was 8.9 percent, Grand Bahama, 10.8 percent and Abaco 7.1 percent,” she said.

Overall, when examined by sex, the unemployment rate for men was higher at 9.1 percent compared to 8.5 percent for women. Young men, those aged 15 to 24, as well as those aged 55 years and over, were more likely to be unemployed when compared with women in their same age group.

“The unemployment rate for young men, aged 15 to 24, reached 19.2 percent compared with women, young women, at 18.2 percent,” Ms Winters said.

She added: “Nationwide, for the unemployed persons that have completed secondary school, there is a slight difference in the proportion of males at 67 percent and females at 66 percent. However, for those who had not completed secondary school, the percentage of unemployed males was 13 percent, higher than that of females. 


“Conversely, for those who had completed university, the proportion of unemployed and females 15 percent was higher than for males at five percent.

Ms Winters also shed light on the number of “discouraged” workers in the country, which accounted for those who were without work and not actively seeking work for at least four weeks prior to the survey, despite being available, capable and qualified.

“The number of discouraged workers in the country is recorded as 2,035,” she said. “In New Providence 1,235, Grand Bahama, 200 and Abaco at 185.

Nerissa Gibson, the acting Managing Director of the BNSI, gave more insight into the makeup of the labour force.

“Women representing 54 percent are the main contributor to the makeup of the labour force compared to men with 46 percent,” she said.

“Further when examined by age group, the results of the survey indicate that almost one quarter of the labour force is made up of persons between the ages of 25 to 34.”

The data pertaining to educational attainment shows that 55 percent of the labour force completed secondary school, four percent of schooling only at the primary level or none at all, while 26 percent had completed university.

Of the 219,465 persons in the labour force, 26 percent had obtained a bachelor's degree or higher, while 21 percent had no qualifications at all.

With reference to the employed labour force, Ms Winters revealed that the majority of those self-employed members of the labour force were calculated to be in Abaco where men dominated the category.

“The employed labour force recorded 200,175 persons. When examined by employment status, almost two thirds or 61 percent, were engaged in the private sector, while 21 percent were government employees,” Ms Winters said.

“The percentage of self-employed with and without employees was highest in Abaco at 28 percent. While New Providence and Grand Bahama, both registered 16 percent – of interest is the fact that men dominated the self-employed categories on all islands.”

The last Labour Force survey conducted throughout the country was the May 2019 report, which was released September of the following year. It represented some 237,525 people throughout New Providence, Grand Bahama and Abaco. The unemployment rate at that time was calculated at 9.5%, which was a decrease from the rate of 10.7 percent in November 2018.


The one-month delayed December 2019 Labour Force survey was conducted in New Providence only, due to the devastation of Hurricane Dorian on both Abaco and Grand Bahama. At that time, 170,835 people were surveyed. The report showed that the unemployment rate in New Providence increased to 10.7 percent, up from 9.4 percent on the island in May 2019.