WILLEMSTAD – The decline in the number of employed people in Curaçao in 2025 was entirely driven by women. While nearly 1,300 fewer women had paid employment compared with the previous year, the number of employed men increased by almost 400. This is according to the Labour Force Survey 2025 conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).
The number of working women fell from more than 38,000 in 2024 to nearly 37,000 in 2025. Among men, employment increased from nearly 34,000 to more than 34,000 during the same period. Overall, Curaçao had approximately 1,000 fewer employed persons in 2025.
At the same time, many women also left the active labour force. The number of women who were not working and were not actively looking for employment increased by more than 4,000, reaching nearly 37,000.
As a result, women accounted for almost two-thirds of the total increase in the economically inactive population.
Female labour force shrinks
The female labour force, which includes both employed people and those actively seeking work, decreased by nearly 2,700 persons. Among men, the decline was approximately 550 persons. Overall, Curaçao’s labour force decreased by about 3,200 people.
Female labour participation also declined noticeably. In 2024, more than 51 percent of women aged 15 and older participated in the labour market. In 2025, that figure dropped below 49 percent.
Among men, the decrease was much smaller, falling from nearly 58 percent to approximately 57 percent.
Despite the decline in female labour participation, official unemployment among women also decreased. The number of unemployed women fell from nearly 3,500 to slightly more than 2,100. As a result, the female unemployment rate dropped from more than 8 percent to 5.5 percent.
However, the CBS cautions that this does not mean all these women found employment. Under international statistical definitions, only people without work who are actively searching for a job and are available to start within two weeks are counted as unemployed.
Women carry majority of unpaid care work
The 2025 figures also show that women continue to carry most unpaid household and caregiving responsibilities.
Of the nearly 2,900 people who were outside the labour market because of household responsibilities, almost 2,600 were women. Women were also significantly more represented among people who were inactive due to family circumstances, with nearly 2,200 women compared with approximately half that number of men.
The CBS reports that women spend an average of four hours per day on unpaid household work and caring for children or elderly family members. Men spend approximately two and a half hours per day on these activities.
According to the CBS, this unequal distribution of unpaid work can limit women’s financial independence and their opportunities in the labour market.
The results are based on a household sample survey and should be considered estimates. The CBS did not publish margins of error for the tables, meaning that not every individual difference can be confirmed as statistically significant.