Labor market in Antigua and Barbuda

The labor market of Antigua and Barbuda is a functioning overall system, but it has no single central labor-market authority. The national statistics unit (Statistics Division) of the national statistics bureau (National Bureau of Statistics) collects labor-market data. The labor administration office (Labour Department) within the Ministry of Public Safety and Labour is responsible, among other things, for labor administration, labor inspection, placement, work permits, and the handling of labor disputes. The detailed labor-force survey published for 2018 recorded 51,931 people in the labor force, 47,429 employed people, and 4,502 unemployed people among a population of 92,093 people aged 15 and over. Women had a labor force participation rate of 68.9 percent and an unemployment rate of 9.9 percent; among men, the figures were 76.1 and 7.3 percent respectively. The most recent household-survey year recorded by the International Labour Organization is 2023, while detailed national tables largely extend only through 2018. These data points must therefore not be treated as one consistent current time series. Services accounted for around 66.9 percent of employment in 2018. Hotels and restaurants employed 8,250 people, public administration and defense 7,561, and wholesale and retail trade 5,222. Construction accounted for around 8.0 percent and manufacturing for 4.2 percent. Women worked disproportionately often in services; men were particularly strongly represented in goods-producing activities. Service and sales occupations accounted for 22.9 percent of all employment, while men worked disproportionately often in craft and related occupations. For finding and filling jobs, the public employment office (Office of the Skills and Employment) or OSEC is a central public placement channel. OSEC maintains a database with many jobseekers and accepts vacancies from businesses. Direct hiring and informal placement complement this channel. According to the World Bank, around 49 percent of non-agricultural employment was informal in 2023; the share was approximately 49.0 percent for women and approximately 48.8 percent for men. Women also frequently worked part-time, with a share of approximately 35.9 percent. Vocational qualifications are developed, among other routes, through technical and vocational education. The technical and vocational education and training standards body (Technical and Vocational Education and Training Council) develops standards and supports qualifications; the national training and accreditation body (Antigua and Barbuda National Training and Accreditation Board) works on occupational standards and the Antigua and Barbuda National Vocational Qualification. The continuing-education institute (Antigua and Barbuda Institute for Continuing Education), also known as ABICE, provides technical and competency-based education, including in areas such as climate-control and refrigeration technology, welding, and vehicle technology. The university campus (University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus) offered more than 40 degree programs to 1,403 students in 2024/25. The training and enterprise centre (GARD Centre) combines vocational education, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and some youth placement. In 2025, about half of the surveyed businesses reported inadequately trained workers as a major or severe obstacle; there was a particular labor shortage in construction. A minimum remuneration of EC$11.50 per hour has applied since April 1, 2026. A phased target of EC$13.00 is planned. A provisional 5 percent increase for public-sector employees was announced at the end of March 2026. Incomes nevertheless differ substantially by industry, occupation, age, gender, and form of employment. The 2018 labor-force survey shows that 37.1 percent of employees received gross earnings of between EC$2,000 and EC$3,999 in their main occupation during the previous four weeks; at least EC$4,000 was reported by 21.9 percent of men and 15.3 percent of women. Employment is heavily concentrated on Antigua, particularly in the St. John's area. The 2018 labor-force survey did not cover Barbuda after displacement caused by Hurricane Irma, so a current comparison between the islands is not reliable. A complete 2015 survey showed differences between the parishes, including an unemployment rate of 20.6 percent in St. Paul and 7.5 percent in St. Philip; these figures are historical comparison data, not current local rates. For young people aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate was 25.7 percent in 2018. Non-nationals generally need a work permit unless a statutory exception under Section F of the labor law (Labour Code) applies. A work permit allows employment under certain conditions but does not establish a residence permit; an extension with the immigration authority is a separate procedure. For certain nationals from CARICOM states and the Dominican Republic, fees are waived under the 2025 work regulation, but the application is still required. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) system for the free movement of skilled workers includes, among others, university graduates, nurses, teachers, media and cultural workers, and certain holders of vocational qualifications. Other workers generally need a work permit under national law. Tourism, construction, airport and infrastructure projects, the Blue Economy, fisheries, agriculture, information and digital occupations, and Spanish-language skills for tourism and trade influence future demand. At the same time, employment remains dependent on tourism, foreign investment, and external shocks such as hurricanes. Regional detail data, income figures from 2018, and older employment rates should therefore not be used for a specific application, pay decision, or workforce plan without checking their currency.