Caribbean Netherlands; labour participation, key figures

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Sex Age Level of education Labour force and not in the labour force (number) Labour force Labour force (number) Labour force Employed labour force Employed labour force (number) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Employee Employee (number) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Employee Permanent employee (number) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Employee Temporary employee (number) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Self-employed person Self-employed person (number) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Self-employed person Self-employed without employees (number) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Self-employed person Self-employed with employees (number) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Self-employed person Contributing family worker (number)
Total male and female 15 to 74 years Total 2,470 1,840 1,760 1,510 1,400 110 250 160 80 10
1 Lower education 1,300 860 810 680 620 60 130 100 30 0
2 Intermediate education 720 610 600 510 470 40 80 30 50 10
3 Higher education 340 310 300 270 260 10 30 20 10 0
Unknown 120 70 60 50 50 0 20 10 0 0
15 to 24 years Total 300 120 90 80 70 10 20 20 0 0
1 Lower education 230 70 50 30 30 0 20 20 0 0
2 Intermediate education 40 30 20 20 20 10 0 0 0 0
3 Higher education 20 20 20 20 20 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25 to 44 years Total 900 840 810 730 660 70 80 60 20 0
1 Lower education 410 370 360 320 280 50 40 30 0 0
2 Intermediate education 300 290 280 260 240 20 20 10 10 0
3 Higher education 140 130 130 120 110 10 10 10 10 0
Unknown 50 40 40 30 30 0 10 10 0 0
25 to 34 years Total 390 360 340 320 280 40 20 20 0 0
1 Lower education 170 150 140 130 120 20 10 0 0 0
2 Intermediate education 130 120 120 110 100 10 0 0 0 0
3 Higher education 70 60 60 60 50 10 10 10 0 0
Unknown 30 30 20 10 10 0 10 10 0 0
35 to 44 years Total 510 480 470 410 380 40 60 40 20 0
1 Lower education 240 230 220 190 160 30 30 30 0 0
2 Intermediate education 170 170 170 150 140 10 20 10 10 0
3 Higher education 70 70 70 60 60 0 10 0 10 0
Unknown 20 20 20 10 10 0 0 0 0 0
45 to 54 years Total 480 420 410 320 310 10 90 50 30 10
1 Lower education 220 190 180 140 130 10 40 30 20 0
2 Intermediate education 140 130 130 100 100 0 30 10 10 10
3 Higher education 90 80 80 70 70 0 10 10 0 0
Unknown 30 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0
45 to 74 years Total 1,270 890 860 710 680 30 160 90 60 10
1 Lower education 650 420 400 320 310 10 80 60 20 0
2 Intermediate education 380 290 290 230 220 10 60 20 40 10
3 Higher education 180 150 140 130 120 10 10 10 0 0
Unknown 60 30 30 20 20 0 0 0 0 0
55 to 64 years Total 480 410 400 350 340 20 50 20 30 0
1 Lower education 250 200 200 180 170 10 20 20 10 0
2 Intermediate education 160 150 150 120 120 10 20 0 20 0
3 Higher education 60 50 50 40 40 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown 10 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0
65 to 74 years Total 300 60 50 30 30 0 20 10 10 0
1 Lower education 180 30 30 10 10 0 10 10 0 0
2 Intermediate education 80 20 20 10 10 0 10 0 10 0
3 Higher education 30 20 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Male 15 to 74 years Total 1,280 960 920 770 710 60 160 110 40 10
1 Lower education 720 510 480 380 350 30 100 80 10 0
2 Intermediate education 330 280 280 230 210 30 40 20 20 10
3 Higher education 140 130 120 110 110 10 10 0 10 0
Unknown 90 50 50 40 40 0 10 10 0 0
15 to 24 years Total 170 70 60 40 40 10 20 20 0 0
1 Lower education 130 40 30 20 20 0 20 20 0 0
2 Intermediate education 20 20 20 20 10 10 0 0 0 0
3 Higher education 10 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25 to 44 years Total 450 420 410 370 320 40 50 30 10 0
1 Lower education 240 220 210 180 160 30 30 30 0 0
2 Intermediate education 130 120 120 120 100 10 10 0 10 0
3 Higher education 50 50 50 40 40 0 10 0 10 0
Unknown 30 30 30 30 30 0 10 10 0 0
25 to 34 years Total 200 190 190 180 150 30 10 10 0 0
1 Lower education 110 100 90 90 80 20 0 0 0 0
2 Intermediate education 50 50 50 50 50 10 0 0 0 0
3 Higher education 20 20 20 20 20 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown 20 20 20 10 10 0 10 10 0 0
35 to 44 years Total 250 230 230 190 170 10 40 20 10 0
1 Lower education 130 120 120 90 80 10 20 20 0 0
2 Intermediate education 70 70 70 60 60 0 10 0 10 0
3 Higher education 30 30 30 20 20 0 10 0 10 0
Unknown 20 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0
45 to 54 years Total 250 220 210 160 150 0 60 30 20 10
1 Lower education 140 120 120 90 80 0 30 20 10 0
2 Intermediate education 80 70 70 40 40 0 30 10 10 10
3 Higher education 30 30 30 30 30 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown 10 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0
45 to 74 years Total 670 480 450 360 350 10 90 60 30 10
1 Lower education 350 250 240 180 180 0 50 40 10 0
2 Intermediate education 190 140 140 100 100 10 40 20 20 10
3 Higher education 90 80 60 60 60 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown 40 20 20 10 10 0 0 0 0 0
55 to 64 years Total 260 220 210 180 180 10 30 20 10 0
1 Lower education 140 110 100 90 90 0 20 10 0 0
2 Intermediate education 70 60 60 60 50 0 10 0 0 0
3 Higher education 40 40 30 30 30 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown 10 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0
65 to 74 years Total 160 40 30 20 20 0 10 10 0 0
1 Lower education 70 20 20 10 10 0 10 10 0 0
2 Intermediate education 50 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Higher education 20 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Female 15 to 74 years Total 1,190 880 840 740 690 50 100 50 40 0
1 Lower education 580 360 330 300 270 30 30 20 10 0
2 Intermediate education 380 330 320 280 260 20 40 20 30 0
3 Higher education 190 180 180 160 150 10 20 20 0 0
Unknown 30 20 10 10 10 0 10 0 0 0
15 to 24 years Total 140 50 30 30 30 0 0 0 0 0
1 Lower education 110 30 20 20 20 0 0 0 0 0
2 Intermediate education 20 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0
3 Higher education 10 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table contains yearly figures on labour participation for the special municipalities Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba (the Caribbean Netherlands). The population of 15 to 74 years of age (excluding the institutionalized population) is divided into the employed labour force, the unemployed labour force and those not in the labour force. The employed labour force is subdivided on the basis of the professional status, and the average working hours. A division by sex, age and level of education is available.

Data available from: 2012

Status of the figures:
The figures in this table are final.

Changes as of 7 July 2025:
The figures of 2024 are added.

Changes as of 30 October 2024:
The number of self-employed for the reporting years 2020 and 2022 has been corrected. The correction concerns a slight upward revision of the number of self-employed persons. The cause was an error in the software that deduces whether someone is self-employed based on the answers in the questionnaire. As a result, for some records the position in the job remained unknown, whereas it should have been self-employed (with employees). This has now been corrected.

Changes as of 26 April 2019:
The figures of 2018 are added.
The figures about the highest level of education have been revised. The revision concerns people who attended common years of education (avo). Where they previously had an intermediate level of education, they now receive a low level of education, following the format used for the European Netherlands.

When will new figures be published?
New figures will be published every two years.

Description topics

Labour force and not in the labour force
People who are part of the employed labour force, the unemployed labour force or who are not in the labour force.

This definition concerns people who live in the Caribbean Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old.

Labour force
People
- who have paid work (employed labour force), or
- who don’t have paid work, recently looked for work and are directly available for it (unemployed labour force).

This definition concerns people who live in the Caribbean Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.
Labour force
People
- who have paid work (employed labour force), or
- who don’t have paid work, recently looked for work and are directly available for it (unemployed labour force).

This definition concerns people who live in the Caribbean Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.

Employed labour force
People who have paid work.

This definition concerns people who live in the Caribbean Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.
Employed labour force
People who have paid work.

This definition concerns people who live in the Caribbean Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 75 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.

Professional status
Classification of the employed labour force into:
Employee
-  permanent
-  temporary
Self-employed
-  without employees (solo self-employed)
-  with employees
-  contributing family worker

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.
Employee
A person who makes arrangements in a collective agreement for labour purposes and who is being paid in return.

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.

Employee
A person who makes arrangements in a collective agreement for labour purposes and who is being paid in return.

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.

Permanent employee
An employee with an employment contract for an indefinite period.

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.


Temporary employee
An employee with an employment contract for a limited period.

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.
Self-employed person
A person who works for his/her own account and risk
-  in an own company or practice (self-employed entrepreneur), or
-  as an owner-manager, or
-  in the company or practice of a family member (contributing family worker), or
-  as another self-employed person (for example in an independent profession).

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.
Self-employed person
A person who works for his/her own account and risk
-  in an own company or practice (self-employed entrepreneur), or
-  as an owner-manager, or
-  in the company or practice of a family member (contributing family worker), or
-  as another self-employed person (for example in an independent profession).

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.
Self-employed without employees
A person who works for his/her own account and risk
-  in an own company or practice (self-employed entrepreneur), or
-  as an owner-manager, or
-  as another self-employed person (for example in an independent profession), and
-  who has no employees.

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.

Self-employed with employees
A person who works for his/her own account and risk
-  in an own company or practice (self-employed entrepreneur), or
-  as an owner-manager, and
-  who has employees.
-  
When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.

Contributing family worker
A person who works, not on the basis of a an explicit employment contract, in the company or practice of the partner or parents.

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.