UNEMPLOYMENT IS DOWN IN THE COUNTRY
This report first appeared in The Nassau Guardian on 21 November 2025:
The unemployment rate in The Bahamas dropped to 9.3 percent in the second quarter of 2025, newly released statistics from the Bahamas National Statistical Institute show. The unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2025 was 10.8 percent.
“Unemployment declined in the second quarter of 2025, with the number of unemployed persons falling to 22,470, a reduction of 3,455 persons relative to the previous quarter.,” according to the latest Labour Force Survey.
“The number of unemployed males declined to 10,690 from 12,630 in the previous quarter, while female unemployment also decreased, falling to 11,780 in the second quarter from 13,295 in the first quarter.
“The unemployment rate for the second quarter of 2025 was 9.3 percent, representing a decline of 1.5 percentage points from 10.8 percent in the first quarter of 2025. The unemployment rate for males and females each declined by 1.6 and 1.3 percentage points, respectively.
“Among youths, the unemployment rate stood at 20.3 percent, a decrease of 0.6 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2025.”
Analysis shows that the number of discouraged workers in the country was 2,270, representing a decline compared to the previous quarter. This category refers to individuals who are without work and available to work, but are not actively seeking employment because they are not optimistic about their chances of finding a job.
The total labor force in the second quarter was 241,090 individuals – 121,840 males and 119,250 females.
In the second quarter 2025 (April to June), there were 218,620 employed individuals, representing an increase of 3,895 persons compared to the first quarter 2025 (January to March), according to the survey.