Unemployment down to historic lows

Published on April 1, 2026

The Office of the Prime Minister is reporting an ‘historic decline in unemployment’ attributing it to “sound leadership, strategic management and effective policy choices”.

The PMO statement goes on to add that “when Prime Minister Pierre assumed office in July 2021, Saint Lucia had to battle with economic instability, supply chain disruption and soaring inflation. In the face of those headwinds, his Administration made no excuses. It got to work”.

According to the 2025 Annual Labour Force Survey, Saint Lucia’s unemployment rate stood at 12.6 percent in 2025, down sharply from 21.9 percent in 2021.

The survey also showed an employed labour force of 100,210 in 2025 and 114,708 in 2024, the highest labour force size in the five-year period under review.

“Even more telling, the unemployment averages for 2024 and 2025 have been the first and second lowest annual levels in the last 25 years. Unemployment rates of 8.8 percent in 2024 and 10.8 percent in 2025 were also the lowest Q4 figures in more than 25 years”, the PMO statement continued.

The numbers from the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) tell a similar story. NIC active insured persons rose from 55,017 in 2020-21 to 60,133 in 2021-22 and 61,851 in 2022-23.

A US$4.2 billion direct investment, especially in the tourism sector, was a major contributing factor. This investment sparked a construction boom, drove hiring, supported suppliers and boosted economic activity across the country.

Through the Youth Economy Agency, the Community Tourism Agency, the MSME Loan Grant Facility, and other targeted programmes, the Government helped entrepreneurs and small businesses to create and grow their businesses.