Labor market in the Bahamas

The national statistical institute (Bahamas National Statistical Institute, BNSI) measures the labor market with a labor force survey (Labour Force Survey, LFS), covering the labor force, employment, and job search. The detailed reviewed survey from January 2025 recorded 240,650 people in the labor force, 214,725 employed people, 25,925 unemployed people, and a labor-force participation rate of 76.0%. The unemployment rate was 10.8%, including 10.4% for men and 11.2% for women. For people aged 15 to 24, it was 20.9%. The more recent BNSI dashboard reports an unemployment rate of 8.7% for the fourth quarter of 2025. Quarterly figures are seasonally affected; comparisons with figures before 2023 are not permitted because of a revised survey series. New Providence concentrates most of the labor force: in January 2025 180.810 people there were in the labor force and 160,840 were employed, while the unemployment rate was 11.0%. On Grand Bahama, 27,310 people were in the labor force and 23,810 were employed, with unemployment at 12.8%. Abaco recorded 10,520 people in the labor force, 9,065 employed people, and 13.8% unemployment. No separate current figure for the Family Islands was available on the reviewed BNSI page; distances, island connections, and the local availability of training and jobs affect access. Private employers shape employment. In the second quarter of 2024, 63% of employed people worked as employees in the private sector, 15% for the government, and 11% were self-employed without employees. In January 2025, the largest numbers of jobs were in Community, Social & Personal Services with 78,375 employees, hotels and restaurants with 41,260, wholesale and retail trade with 27,885, construction with 17,690, transport, storage and communication with 16,750, and financial, insurance, real estate, and other business services with 14,835 employees. Manufacturing employed 6,790 people; Mining, Quarrying, Electricity, Gas & Water employed 3,970; and Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry & Fishing employed 3,745. Among occupational groups, Service Workers & Shop Market Sales Workers led with 57,685 employees. They were followed by professionals in science and technology with 46,835, craft occupations and plant and machine operators with 35,120, elementary occupations with 28,460, clerical occupations with 18,340, Legislators & Senior Officials with 16,840, and skilled agricultural and fishery workers with 6,295. BNSI classifies industries according to ISIC Rev. 5 and occupations according to ISCO-08. Qualifications are distributed differently by gender and educational pathway. Among employed women, around 30% had a university or vocational qualification, while 17% reported no formal qualification; among men, these shares were 17% and 28%, respectively. GCE O-Level and BGCSE form a common intermediate education pathway. In the second quarter of 2024, only about 53% of employed people worked in an area matching their training, indicating a gap between qualifications and actual work. Formal continuing-training pathways include the national training agency (National Training Agency, NTA), the technical and vocational institute (Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute, BTVI), the national university (University of The Bahamas, UB), and the agriculture and marine science institute (Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute, BAMSI). The NTA runs a mandatory Workforce Preparatory Programme, Entry Level Workplace Training, and ILM and City & Guilds offerings; access is available to Bahamian nationals aged 16 and over. BTVI offers Level I to IV certificates, diplomas, Associate Degrees of Applied Science, and Professional Development Certificates, including in construction, mechanics, information and communications technology, electronics, business, beauty, fashion, and renewable energy. Campus and outreach offerings exist not only on New Providence but also on Grand Bahama, Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma, Moore's Island, and North Andros. UB combines degrees with certificates, diplomas, and Adult Workforce Education and Training. BAMSI offers short courses, competency certificates, national and international certifications, degree programmes, and online offerings in agriculture, aquaculture, marine science, and environmental science in San Andros. Fees depend on the provider and training pathway; no single current fee was established. The national apprenticeship programme (National Apprenticeship Programme, NAP) offers a one-year paid Earn-While-You-Learn model (Earn-While-You-Learn), a paid learn-while-working model, for Bahamian young people aged 16 to 25. The pilot covered construction, mechanical occupations, maritime activities, and energy; medical and health occupations, customer service and hospitality, and office and administrative work were added later. For matching jobseekers and companies, the labour department (Department of Labour) operates the online skills portal (Online Skills Portal). Registration requires the legal working age, Bahamian nationality or residence status, a valid Bahamian identity card, an email address, and a telephone number; employers can also register. The portal itself reports more than 126,000 registered users, over 5,000 active jobseekers, more than 4,000 companies, and over 100 jobs per week. These figures are volatile and have not been independently validated. Reported demand includes certified accountants, project managers, lifeguards, nurses, IT specialists, welders in the maritime sector, mechanical and electrical engineers, chefs, electricians, and carpenters and journeymen. Automation is also increasing demand for data analysis, cybersecurity, automation engineering, AI programming, and coding. The most recently established statutory minimum wage for employees outside the Crown was BSD 260 per week from January 1, 2023. No current general distribution of median or average wages was found in the reviewed official material; a BNSI report on wages in the accommodation sector for 2022 to 2023 cannot be applied to the entire labor market. Contributions to the national insurance board (National Insurance Board, NIB) have been 4.65% for employees and 6.65% for employers since July 1, 2024, for a combined 11.3%. The insurable ceiling is BSD 810 per week or BSD 3,510 per month; employers remit contributions monthly by the 15th of the following month. Foreign workers generally need an employer-linked work permit (Work Permit). A total of 14,134 Work Permits were recorded for new applicants in 2024; 81% were for men and 19% for women. The largest sectors were transport and storage with 3,588 applications, households as employers with 2,586, and accommodation and food services with 2,484. By occupational group, 26% were Technicians & Associate Professionals, 20% elementary occupations, and 19% professionals in science and technology. The most frequent nationalities were US citizens with 4,563 applications and Haitians with 2,248. The documented sequence runs from the vacancy and a newspaper advertisement through the vacancy notification (Notification of Vacancy, NOV) with the Department of Labour and the labour certificate (Labour Certificate, LC) to the Work Permit with the immigration department (Department of Immigration). The reviewed procedural document states BSD 25 for the NOV, BSD 100 for the Work-Permit application, and six to eight weeks for a status inquiry; current fees should be reconfirmed before applying. The employer must report the end of employment to Immigration within 30 days. In 2025, Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing grew by 8.4%, Construction by 9.0%, Utilities by 20.1%, Financial & Insurance by 19.8%, Transport & Storage by 6.6%, Accommodation & Food by 5.2%, and Public Administration & Defence by 3.8%. Wholesale and Retail, Information and Communication, and Administrative and Support Services declined. Tourism, foreign direct investment, infrastructure, and digital training drive the change; dependence on tourism and imports, seasonal fluctuations, concentration on a few islands, skills gaps, and dependence on foreign workers remain key risks.