Unemployment is Up to 10.4 Percent in September 2019

Belize’s population as of September of this year is four hundred and ten thousand, six hundred and ninety-five persons. Of that number, two hundred and seventy-one thousand, six hundred and fifty-one persons are of working age and the remaining persons are under fourteen years old. About seventy percent of the population represents persons of the working age. The S.I.B.’s Labour Force survey shows that the national unemployment rate grew from seven point seven percent in April to ten point four percent in September of this year – that is two point seven percent, despite an increase of over five thousand, six hundred new jobs over the five month period. S.I.B.’s Wendy Benavides breaks down the numbers.

Wendy Benavides

Wendy Benavides, Statistician II, S.I.B.

“Within the labour force, the employed persons were a total of one hundred and seventy thousand four hundred and fifty-eight persons which would be around eighty-nine point six percent of the total labour force and these were persons that were working for pay, profit or family gain for at least one hour.  Or they could have been temporarily absent from work due to injury, vacation or maternity leave, personal matters or temporary disorganization of work. Unemployed persons, those wanting and available to work, represent ten point four percent of the labour force or nineteen thousand eight hundred and forty-nine persons working less than thirty five hours otherwise the underemployed represent twenty-two point seven percent of all employed persons; this group was about thirty-eight thousand seven hundred and sixty nine persons increasing by thirty-four percent since the April round of this year.”