Labour market in Barbados

The national statistics office (Barbados Statistical Service) measures the labour market through the continuous labour force sample survey (Continuous Labour Force Sample Survey) nationwide among the civilian population aged 15 and over and publishes the results quarterly. No reliable current breakdown by parish or city is available in the statistics. The 2025 annual figures are based on revised weights following the 2021 Population Census: the labour force participation rate was 63.3%, including 67.4% for men and 59.5% for women. The employment structure comprised 80,000 private-sector employees, 24,600 government employees, 21,400 self-employed people and 100 employers. Self-employment does not automatically mean informal employment; the reviewed labour force survey does not quantify informal employment separately. The largest employment sectors in 2025 included wholesale and retail trade with 17,700 employees, accommodation and food services with 16,300, public administration and defence with 14,100, and construction, mining and quarrying with 11,200. Other significant sectors were manufacturing with 8,000, administrative and support services with 7,600, education with 6,000, transport and storage with 5,700, and financial and insurance services and human health and social work with 5,500 each. In the fourth quarter of 2025, service and sales workers were the largest occupational group with 26,500 people, followed by elementary workers with 17,700, professionals with 14,300, managers with 13,400, clerical support workers with 13,100, technicians and associate professionals with 12,400, and craft and related trades workers with 11,900. Construction was strongly male-dominated, while accommodation and food services employed more women; the distribution in trade was almost even. The available income data for 2025 refer to the last week of the survey and specify neither gross or net amounts nor an hourly basis. 39,700 employees earned BDS$200 to 499, 54,600 earned BDS$500 to 999, 10,900 earned BDS$1,000 to 1,300 and 8,800 earned more than BDS$1,300; 10,300 people did not report an income. Since 21 January 2026, the national minimum wage has been BDS$10.71 per hour, BDS$85.68 for eight hours and BDS$428.40 for 40 hours. Security guards have a minimum wage of BDS$11.66 per hour. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times the normal wage and work on public holidays at double the normal wage. The Ministry of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector operates through its labour department (Labour Department) and the public employment and career counselling service (Barbados Employment and Career Counselling Service). The free public job register (Barbados Job Register) connects people with vacancies, publishes job openings and offers career counselling, help with CVs and interviews, and training in basic workplace skills. Registration requires a national identification number, contact details, education and employment history, a CV and a photograph. Employers can report vacancies, pre-screen applications and receive candidate suggestions; this does not guarantee placement or employment. Private and direct recruitment also continue alongside these services. Qualifications can be demonstrated, among other ways, through the technical and vocational education and training council (TVET Council Barbados) and workplace-based National/Caribbean Vocational Qualification (N/CVQ) certification. The levels range from Level 1 for entry-level work to Level 5 for higher-level or professional occupations. The vocational training board (Barbados Vocational Training Board) combines practical and theoretical learning with mathematics, communication, employability, entrepreneurship and practical work at the workplace. For Barbadian nationals, this training is free and includes a stipend of BDS$125 per week; other nationals pay course fees, the amount of which is not specified. Recognised providers include the vocational training board and the technical institute (Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology). The employment and training fund (Employment and Training Fund) supports employers and providers, but not individuals or degree programmes. The Training Barbados programme (Training Barbados) lasts a maximum of twelve months and requires an employer contribution of at least 25%; funding is primarily directed towards skills in demand and shortages, including IT, solar energy, care and agriculture. Employment relationships are shaped by the employment rights law (Employment Rights Act 2012). Employers must provide written information about employment conditions and pay; further information, consultation and record-keeping duties apply to dismissals, short-time working and certain terminations. The labour department handles labour standards, occupational safety and labour relations. Complaints generally begin with the chief labour officer (Chief Labour Officer) and a conciliation process and may then reach the employment rights tribunal (Employment Rights Tribunal). The national insurance system (National Insurance Scheme) covers, subject to the applicable conditions, sickness, maternity, invalidity, old age, survivors and employment injuries. Non-Barbadian workers must register with the immigration department (Immigration Department) before starting work and need a permit depending on their status. Short-term permits may be valid for a maximum of eleven months and long-term permits for a maximum of three years; for a long-term application, the employer must show that no suitable and willing resident or Barbadian worker is available. The application costs BDS$300, while the final fee depends on the category and duration. A CARICOM skills certificate (CARICOM Skills Certificate) is applied for through the accreditation council (Barbados Accreditation Council), costs BDS$100 and requires at least seven working days for issuance by Barbados; assessment by another CARICOM state may take at least ten working days. Since 1 October 2025, eligible nationals of Barbados, Belize, Dominica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have extended free movement without a work permit or CSME skills certificate (CSME Skills Certificate); the applicable certificate rules continue to apply to other eligible CARICOM categories. The economy grew by 2.7% in real terms in 2025, driven mainly by tourism, other business services, construction and agriculture. The unemployment rate was 6.1% in the second quarter and 6.6% in the third quarter; at the same time, applications for unemployment benefits were slightly higher in 2025. The labour market remains vulnerable to external changes because of the small, open and tourism-dependent economy. Ageing and retirement reduce labour force participation; in the fourth quarter of 2025, 3,500 people were also visibly underemployed.