About seven out of ten inhabitants of the Caribbean Netherlands are working

 Employment rate (15 to 65 year of age) in the Caribbean Netherlands and the European Netherlands, 2012

 The labor participation rate in the Caribbean Netherlands in 2012 ranged from nearly 73 percent on Bonaire to more than 64 percent on Saba. The unemployment rate in the Caribbean Netherlands was slightly lower than in the European Netherlands.

 

Bonaire had over 8.6 thousand workers

 Nearly 11,8 thousand persons aged 15 to 65 years lived on Bonaire in 2012, 2,8 thousand on St. Eustatius and 1,5 thousand on Saba. Of the inhabitants of Bonaire 8,6 thousand formed part of the employed labor force, they worked for twelve hours or more per week. On St. Eustatius this was 1,9 thousand and almost 1 thousand on Saba. With this the employment rate amounted to respectively 72,6 percent, 70,3 percent and 64,3 percent. This is according to the latest figures from the Labor Force Survey Caribbean Netherlands.

 

Unemployment (15 to 65 year olds) in the Caribbean Netherlands and the European Netherlands, 2012

 

Unemployment Caribbean Netherlands lower than in the European Netherlands

 The unemployment rate on Bonaire was 6,2 percent. This equates to approximately 560 unemployed persons. This is slightly lower than in the European Netherlands where about 6,4 percent was unemployed in 2012. Unemployment was slightly lower on Saba and St. Eustatius, respectively 4,9 and 4,4 percent. This equates to approximately 100 unemployed persons on St.Eustatius and less than 50 on Saba.

 

 

Share of persons (15 to 65 years) not  in the labor force in the Caribbean Netherlands and the European Netherlands, 2012

More than a quarter of the Caribbean Netherlands inhabitants did not belong to the labor force

 

Nearly a quarter of the inhabitants of Bonaire between 15 to 65 years did not form part of the labor force. It concerns for example people who do not work because they are already retired or still go to school and people who do not work, for example because of household responsibilities, illness or disability. This share was in St. Eustatius and in Dutch Europe just over a quarter, respectively 26 and 28 percent. On Saba it was even almost a third.