Largest occupational group on each island of the Caribbean Netherlands are construction workers

In 2014, the largest occupational group in the Caribbean Netherlands were construction workers including bricklayers, pavers and carpenters. Nearly 12 percent of the 13 thousand people working in the three special municipalities formed part of this occupational group.

Clerical support staff also a large group

The second largest occupational group, over 10 percent of the workforce, are clerical support staff. These include general administrative staff and secretarial workers. Other large occupational groups in the Caribbean Netherlands are personal services workers, such as waiters and cooks, retail staff and cleaners.

Many retail workers on  Bonaire

Aside from construction workers (13 percent) and clerical support staff (11 percent), Bonaire typically has many people working as retail staff. In 2014, nearly 9 percent of the nearly 10 thousand workers were shopkeepers or shop sales assistants. Altogether one in three people on Bonaire were employed in construction, clerical support  or retail.  On St Eustatius and Saba, these occupational groups are smaller and make up one-fifth of the workforce.
  

Many teachers on Saba

Compared with Bonaire and St Eustatius, many people on Saba are teachers, including for example at the medical university established there. Last year, 10 percent of the nearly one thousand employees on Saba worked in education, much more than the 3 percent on Bonaire and the 5 percent on St Eustatius. On Saba, the share of people working in personal services and as cleaners or kitchen helpers is also relatively large.
 

St Eustatius: many protective services workers

Together with construction workers, protective services workers were the largest occupational group on St Eustatius. In 2014, nearly 9 percent of the employed population had such an occupation, i.e. more than twice as many as on Bonaire and on Saba. The share of electrical and electronic trades workers on St Eustatius was also relatively high at more than 5 percent.

Male and female occupations

In 2014, slightly over one half of all workers in the Caribbean Netherlands were male. The male/female ratio varies widely among the occupational groups. For example, nine out of ten cleaners and kitchen helpers are female, and women are also in the majority among clerical support, retail and teaching staff. On the other hand, electrical and electronic trades workers, building and metal workers are almost all men.