CASTRIES, St. Lucia, Sept 7, CMC- The St. Lucia government Monday said that the unemployment rate had declined to 10.1 per cent during the second quarter of this year.
The latest Labour Force Survey from the Central Statistical Office (CSO) confirmed that unemployment fell from 12.1 per cent in the first quarter of this year to 10.1 per cent for the period, April to June.
It said the improvement is even more pronounced when compared with the corresponding period last year, when unemployment stood at 13.4 per cent and that this quarter’s figure represents a 3.3 percentage-point reduction in unemployment year-on-year.
The government said that the labour market also recorded an increase in the number of employed persons with total employment reaching 99,528 persons in the second quarter, an increase of 691 persons over the previous quarter and 1,677 compared with the same period last year.
It said that the employment rate consequently increased to 89.9 per cent of the labour force, compared with 87.9per cent in the first quarter and 86.6 per cent one year earlier. Youth employment also declined to 15.5 per cent, down from 18.5 per cent in the previous quarter and 24.1 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2025.
The statement said that over the last five years, the Phillip J Pierre-led administration has pursued people-centred economic policies aimed at supporting local businesses, attracting foreign direct investment, strengthening key productive sectors and accelerating public infrastructure development.
It said that the impact of this approach can be seen across Saint Lucia through major public and private sector developments, and that the latest CSO data also show that construction employment increased by 14 per cent during the second quarter, while administrative and support services recorded a 35.1 per cent increase.
Accommodation and food services remained the single largest employing industry, accounting for 16.4 per cent of total employment, followed by wholesale and retail trade at 14.2 per cent and construction at 9.4 per cent.
CMC/aj/ir/2026