Almost half of working-age population not working, majority are women

By Zoila Palma:  Almost half of Belize’s working-age population was outside the labour force in April 2026, according to data from the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) Labour Force Survey.

The survey estimates that 145,965 persons, or 46.0 percent of the working-age population, were not employed and were neither actively seeking nor available for work during the period.

Females made up almost two-thirds of this group.

SIB defines persons outside the labour force as those not actively engaged in job searching due to reasons such as schooling, unpaid household responsibilities, retirement, illness, disability, or discouragement from seeking employment.

Age breakdowns show that 30.6 percent of those outside the labour force were between the ages of 14 and 24, while 34.7 percent were 55 years and older, indicating that both youth and older adults make up a significant share of this population.

Among the reasons given for not participating, 33.3 percent cited personal or family responsibilities, with women accounting for 58.1 percent of this category.

A further 10.5 percent reported they were not seeking work because they were attending school or training, with males and females nearly evenly represented.

The survey also found that 58.6 percent of persons outside the labour force had never worked before, while 74.8 percent depended primarily on a parent, spouse, or child for financial support.

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