Minister of Labour, Public Service, and National Insurance, Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle, says the results from the latest Labour Force Survey confirm the Davis Administration’s expanding opportunities agenda is working as consecutive quarters in the eight percent range represent the lowest sustained unemployment levels seen in many years.
The Labour Force Survey, released yesterday by the Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI) for the final two quarters of 2025, indicates a stable unemployment rate of 8.8% and 8.7%.
Key highlights from the data include an increase of 3,350 persons entering the workforce and a corresponding decrease in discouraged workers, with women making up a majority of entrants into the workforce. In total, 3,450 people were hired across the two quarters, resulting in a stable unemployment rate as the economy created enough jobs to offset the thousands of workers entering the workforce.
Minister Glover-Rolle said the numbers reflect an economy generating ample opportunity as more people who were discouraged now feel hope as they actively pursue employment: “These figures tell us the jobs being created are keeping pace with the number of people looking for employment. That is not something we take for granted. It means our policies are working, and we must continue to work even harder to expand employment opportunities and bring discouraged workers back into the fold.”
Minister Glover-Rolle pointed to three pillars driving the administration’s approach to expanding employment for Bahamians:
“First, we are expanding opportunity through training and education, so we can turn the unskilled into skilled workers and open doors for those in our workforce once deemed unemployable. Second, we are creating jobs by growing the economy and drawing in foreign and domestic investment, while making sure qualified Bahamians get first consideration whenever a position opens. Third, we are making sure that growth reaches across the archipelago, so opportunity is not just concentrated in New Providence.”
The Minister noted that billions of dollars in investment and development projects are ongoing or in the pipeline across the country, which will continue to translate into increased opportunity for Bahamian workers in the months ahead.
“This is the progress we are building on. The unemployment rate did not fall on its own. It fell because we trained people, because we brought in investment, and because we insisted that Bahamians get the first shot at the jobs being created in their own country.”
The Ministry of Labour, Public Service, and National Insurance will continue to track the data closely and work with local unions and employers to create jobs, increase productivity, and expand opportunity throughout The Bahamas. Initiatives and programmes that fall under the Ministry, such as the Labour on the Blocks job fairs, the Jobseekers portal, the Notice of Vacancy Enforcement Unit, the National Training Agency’s offerings, and the National Apprenticeship Programme, are expected to play a role in preparing Bahamians for opportunities and linking them with those opportunities when they are created.
