At a time when international organizations are voicing concern about a high percentage of informal employment in the Caribbean, jobseekers can seek formal employment in a sector that has been experiencing enormous growth that started from before the pandemic.
“The services sector may not be spoken about as frequently as tourism or agriculture and fisheries, but it accounts for a large share of formal employment,” says Joseph Boll, Caribbean Employment Services Inc. CEO.
Caribbean Employment Services Inc. is a market-leading digital talent acquisition service that aims to connect the top talent from the Caribbean with hiring managers, HR professionals and decision-makers in companies both in the Caribbean and abroad.
Boll continues, “It’s estimated that around 80 percent of jobs are in the services sector, and just recently the ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) reported that jobs in this sector have not only recovered but grown so much that they’re now past pre-pandemic levels.”
The CEO emphasized that now is the opportune time for someone who had an informal job or who may have been a wage worker to join a sector that can offer more stability and one that’s projected to have steady growth for the foreseeable future.
The services sector encompasses jobs that provide services to clients rather than goods. For instance, jobs like bankers, teachers and hospitality workers are all a part of the services industry. This is in contrast to industries like agriculture and fisheries that have traditionally been dominant sectors in the region, and which rely on trade and sales of products (fish, produce, livestock, etc.)
In its latest Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean, the ECLAC reported that “only in the services sector does the number of persons employed exceed the levels prevailing in the fourth quarter of 2019” as compared to the first quarter of 2023. That period would have been just before the pandemic struck the region in early 2020, crippling the tourism industry.
Many jobs in the services sector proved their sustainability during the pandemic, and even then regional leaders predicted that the services industry would drive growth in the region.
“Based on the ECLAC’s early reports, it seems that the services sector is holding true to the steady, stable growth expected of it,” says Boll. “Although informal employment has dramatically increased since the pandemic, it’s clear that the services sector can be a pathway to something more secure. Caribbean Employment Services Inc. encourages jobseekers to take advantage of all of the tools at their disposal to seek gainful employment in this arena.”
About Caribbean Employment Services Inc.
Caribbean Employment Services Inc., based in Barbados, is one of the market-leading online talent acquisition services, specializing in helping businesses and organizations recruit the best candidates for their roles and job seekers find their ideal position. For international and national employers looking to source the best talent from the Caribbean region and from the United States into their Caribbean businesses, we offer a range of recruitment solutions, all developed to find the right candidates for their roles. Find out more at https://caribbeanemployment.com or contact [email protected].
