WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao’s construction sector entered 2025 with a positive outlook, but a severe shortage of skilled workers is emerging as the biggest threat to continued growth.
According to the latest construction sector survey by the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten, 54 percent of construction companies in Curaçao reported difficulty finding workers. The problem is most acute in skilled trades, with 78 percent of respondents identifying electricians, plumbers, carpenters and similar workers as the hardest positions to fill.
The shortage comes at a time when the sector remains economically important and continues to expand. Curaçao’s construction sector recorded real output growth of 9.6 percent, reflecting ongoing demand for residential, commercial and infrastructure-related projects.
Most companies remain optimistic. Nearly two-thirds of respondents expect overall economic conditions to improve in 2025, while 58 percent expect the business climate to improve and 60 percent believe their own local market position will strengthen. Employment expectations are also positive, with 38 percent of firms expecting to increase staff and 60 percent expecting their workforce to remain stable.
However, the sector’s confidence is being tested by the limited availability of qualified labor. The CBCS survey shows that 81 percent of companies consider it difficult or very difficult to recruit skilled workers. Only a very small share described the process as easy.
The impact goes beyond hiring. Labor shortages can slow down projects, increase costs, affect quality and limit the ability of companies to take on new work. This is especially important because Curaçao’s construction sector is dominated by micro and small enterprises. About 75 percent of companies employ fewer than five full-time workers, making them more vulnerable when even one skilled position cannot be filled.
Companies themselves clearly identified the labor shortage as the sector’s main challenge. Nearly two-thirds of respondents, 64 percent, pointed to skilled labor shortages as the primary obstacle facing the industry. This was far ahead of rising material costs, red tape and infrastructure constraints.
The solution most frequently proposed by firms was strengthening Curaçao’s skilled labor pool. Respondents also called for a reduction in the cost of doing business, better access to credit and less red tape.
The findings suggest that Curaçao’s construction sector is not suffering from a lack of demand, but from a lack of capacity. Without more trained workers, the island risks seeing growth slowed by the very shortage that companies say is already holding them back.