WILLEMSTAD – While Curaçao’s unemployment rate declined in 2025, the country’s active labour force also became smaller, according to new figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).
The CBS Labour Force Survey 2025 shows that the labour force decreased from 78,013 people in 2024 to 74,807 people in 2025. This represents a decline of 3,206 people.
The labour force consists of all employed people and those actively searching for work. According to CBS, both groups decreased during the year.
The number of employed residents fell by 939 people, from 71,919 in 2024 to 70,980 in 2025. At the same time, the number of job seekers declined by 2,266 people, from 6,094 to 3,828.
CBS noted that the lower unemployment rate does not only reflect stronger employment opportunities. The increase in the economically inactive population also contributed to the decline.
The figures highlight an ongoing challenge for Curaçao: maintaining a sufficiently large workforce to support economic growth, public services and social systems.