SIB Survey Shows Men Still Lead Belize’s Workforce Participation

The Statistical Institute of Belize today provided a snapshot of the country’s labour market as it unveiled findings from its latest Labour Force Survey during a press conference in Belize City.  The presentation, led by Statistician Arnel Wade, examined several key indicators that help paint a picture of the nation’s workforce. Among the areas covered were employment, unemployment, under-employment, informal employment, and the segment of the population that remains outside of the labour force.  Wade explained that the Labour Force Survey is one of the Institute’s most important tools for measuring economic activity and tracking trends within the job market.  According to Wade, the survey is conducted twice each year, in April and September, and is based on a sample of approximately three thousand households across the country. One of the findings highlighted during the presentation was the continued difference in labour force participation between men and women. As of April 2026, males remained more active in the labour force than females, a trend that has been observed in previous survey periods.

“In April, 2026, the estimated labor force was comprised of 170,056 persons of which nearly three-fifths were male and over half lived in rural areas. Male labor force participation consistently exceeds that of females across all age groups, with males age 25 and older showing the highest rates while young females aged 14 to 24 recorded the lowest rate at 27.1% in April 2026. In April 2026, the unemployment rate stood at 1.9%. As the graph shows, female unemployment was slightly higher at 2.2% compared to 1.7% for males. Persons with tertiary education as their highest level of education completed experienced the highest rate of unemployment followed by persons whose highest level of education completed was at the secondary level. Of the employed population, 72% were employees, while 26.1% were self-employed. Persons in informal employment are defined as persons or entities not registered with the Belize Companies and Corporate Affairs Registry or the Belize Social Security Board. Persons who are in paid employment at private entities not contributing payments to social security are also considered informally employed. In April, 2026, 34.1% of all employed persons were informally employed down from 37.5% in April, 2025. Over 60% of those in informal employment were males and more than 60% resided in rural areas. The largest share of employed persons had primary education as their highest level of education attained except the formerly employed with tertiary and the underemployed with secondary education as their highest level of education attained. Formerly employed persons continued to earn the highest monthly income and worked the most hours. Average monthly income for all employed persons increased to $1,525 in April, 2026 up from $1,498 in April, 2025.”