Unemployment Rises Slightly in Belize, Women Most Likely to Leave Labour Force

Unemployment is slightly up according to the latest labour force statistics from the Statistical Institute of Belize. The SIB says that during the April 2024 Labour Force Survey (LFS) unemployment stood at three percent, a marginal bump from the two-point eight percent measured in April of 2023. The SIB says that a combination of factors influenced the change including three thousand people changing employment status and an increase in those leaving the labour force. Director General of the SIB Diana Castillo-Trejo says that females were the group most likely to leave the labour force, for social reasons.

The SIB defines persons outside the labour force as those who are eligible for work but currently not employed, not seeking employment, or not available to be  given the opportunity.