Caribbean Netherlands: half of companies use emergency package

As of March 2020, a package of emergency measures has been in place in the Caribbean Netherlands to tackle the economic consequences of the coronavirus crisis. Nearly half of all local enterprises availed of a financial contribution towards their wage costs and/or fixed overhead last year. This is evident from new figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

The share of companies in the Caribbean Netherlands claiming government support for their wage costs and/or fixed overhead ranged from 45 percent on Bonaire to 55 percent on Saba and 47 percent on St Eustatius.

Employers applied for a contribution in wage costs related to 4,020 jobs. This concerned the wage costs of both employees and self-employed. The vast majority of claims were made in the accommodation and food services sector. In this sector, 200 companies received financial support for 1,290 jobs; almost all of them were located on Bonaire. In the trade sector, 200 companies applied for contributions from the emergency package. They received a contribution towards their wage costs for altogether 500 jobs.

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