Published 29/07/2025 13:15 | Edited 29/07/2025 14:36
Despite all the difficulties imposed by the economic blockade, Cuba presents one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world. At the end of last year, only 1.7% of Cuban workers were without any occupation.
The full employment staff was found by the 2024 National Employment Survey, presented by Juan Carlos Alfonso Fraga, deputy chief of the National Office of Statistics and Information (Onei- National Statistics and Information Office). Since the mid -2000s, the eviction remains at minimum levels among Cubans, and the working population has a high degree of formation.
There are only 69,333 unoccupied people, according to Onei. The newspaper Granma (Official Communist Party Organ) adds that, despite this good result, the Cuban government does not close its eyes to the challenges of the labor market.
The scenario presented is of an aged workforce, with preponderance of men and informal work growth.
Read more: Cuba announces reform package to ensure growth with social development
According to Fraga, about half of the active population (over 15 years) is part of the workforce. The rest is out of the market for reasons such as studies, retirement, disability or other conditions.
Of the population in working conditions, just over half, 52.1%, is aging, which represents a decline in occupation in the state sector and increased private or non -state/autonomous sector.
The newspaper also highlights the observation of Joel Granda Dihigo, deputy director of the Center for Population Studies and Development of Onei, which points to more than 75% of the working population with a high degree of training, since they have higher education, intermediate technical education or pre-university education, a “favorable factor for the development of human capital”.
He further reveals that the largest amount of workers is made up of liberal professionals, scientists and intellectuals. Nevertheless, the survey shows that the economic activity that generates the most added value to the country is agriculture (16.5%) and that the largest field to get jobs are private business (29.6%)
Informality
Although the low vacancy rate and the high degree of working mass formation is Cuban pride, the government has been following the growth of informality.
As state jobs have diminished as the workforce ages, 20.1% of new workers have occupied informal jobs. For definition purposes, research considers informal work as “Paid or profitable work, without bonding with Social Security, depending on whether they are owners or employees, both inside and outside the informal sector.”
Alfonso Fraga also warns that 58.5% of informal workers are autonomous: “If we include those hired for other private work or families, seven out of ten workers in this sector are informal,” he said at the press conference to present the results.
Below, check out some research staff released by the Communist Party’s official communication agency of Cuba.
| Sector of economic activity that generates the most added value |
| Agriculture 16.5% |
| Education 11.4% |
| TRADE 10.9% |
| Health. 9.7% |
| Public Administration. 6.9% |
| Provinces with the highest percentage of informal occupation: |
| Havana 19,6% |
| Santiago de Cuba 10.1% |
| Holguin 8.9% |
| Camaguey 8,7% |
| Provinces with higher vacancy rate: |
| Guantanamo 3,8% |
| Havana 2,7% |
| Artemis 2.2% |
| Total vacancy Cuba: 69,333 people |
| Greater management to get a job: |
| Private business: 29.6% |
| Work Offices: 23.0% |
| Relatives, friends: 20.6% |
| Companies and other state entities: 13.7% |
*Information Granma
Source: vermelho.org.br
