SURINAME POVERTY AND EQUITY ASSESSMENT - ANNEX 2 - Suriname Labor Market Diagnostic

Jul 19, 2026

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Annex 2 presents a diagnostic of Suriname’s labor market within the broader Poverty and Equity Assessment framework. It reviews labor supply and demand conditions through labor force characteristics, employment and unemployment patterns, firm structure and performance, and the role of skills and vacancies. The annex analyzes market equilibrium issues, including potential skills mismatches, wage and returns to education, and shortages linked to gender gaps. It concludes with policy recommendations and supporting references.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages50

Reading Time2 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Key Findings

Introduction

International Benchmarking

Structural Labor Supply-side Issues

Characteristics of the Labor Force

Employed Population

The Unemployed and the Population Outside of the Labor Force

Structural Labor Demand-side Issues

Firm Characteristics

Firm Performance

Skills and Vacancies

Labor Market Equilibrium

Potential Skills Mismatch

Wages and Returns

Skill Shortages and Women’s Educational Performance

Policy Recommendations

References

Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized ANNEX 2. SURINAME: LABOR MARKET DIAGNOSTIC SURINAME POVERTY AND EQUITY ASSESSMENT CONTENTS Key Findings 5 1. Introduction 6 2. International Benchmarking 9 3. Structural Labor Supply-side Issues 13 3.1. Characteristics of the Labor Force 14 3.2. Employed Population 17 3.3. The Unemployed and the Population Outside of the Labor Force 20 4. Structural Labor Demand-side Issues 24 4.1. Firm Characteristics 25 4.2. Firm Performance 29 4.3. Skills and Vacancies 31 5. Labor Market Equilibrium 35 5.1. Potential Skills Mismatch 36 5.2. Wages and Returns 37 5.3. Skill Shortages Aggravated by the Failure to Capitalize on Women’s Strong Educational Performance 41 6. Policy Recommendations 44 References 47 FIGURES Figure A2.1. Suriname: Labor Force Participation and Wage and Salaried Workers (Percent) 10 Figure A2.2. Suriname: Vulnerable Employment and Unemployment (Percent) 11 Figure A2.3. Suriname: Youth Not in Education, Employment, or Training (Percent) 12 Figure A2.4. Suriname: Average Years of Schooling 15 Figure A2.5. Suriname: Average Schooling Years by Consumption Quintile 15 Figure A2.6. Suriname: Highest Level of Educational Completed (Percent) 16 Figure A2.7. Suriname: Software and Office Skills (Percent) 16 Figure A2.8. Suriname: Employment Status (Percent) 17 Figure A2.9. Suriname: Contribution and Affiliation to Social Security (Percent) 18 Figure A2.10. Suriname: Firm Size (Percent) 18 Figure A2.11. Occupations in Suriname (Percent) 19 Figure A2.12. Employment Sectors in Suriname (Percent) 20 Figure A2.13. Suriname: Sources Used to Look for a Job (Percent) 21 Figure A2.14. Suriname: Occupations that Jobseekers Look For (Percent) 21 Figure A2.15. Suriname: Reason for Not Working (Percent) 22 Figure A2.16. Suriname: Reasons for Not Looking for a Job (Percent) 22 Figure A2.17. Suriname: Duration of Unemployment (Months) 23 Figure A2.18. Gender Considerations (Percent) 27 Figure A2.19. Employment Benefits (Percent) 28 Figure A2.20. Skill Shortages Reported by Firms as an Obstacle (Percent) 28 Figure A2.21. Suriname: Potential Causes of Skill Shortages (Percent) 29 Figure A2.22. Suriname: Productivity and Wages (U.S. dollars) 30 Figure A2.23. The Caribbean and Suriname: Labor Productivity and Wages (U.S. dollars) 31 SURINAME POVERTY AND EQUITY ASSESSMENT Figure A2.24. Suriname: Required and Average Level of Education (Percent) 32 Figure A2.25. Percentage of Firms Offering Formal Training (Percent) 33 Figure A2.26. Suriname: Desired Characteristics and Skills (Percent) 33 Figure A2.27. Suriname: Difficulty Finding Appropriate Job Candidates 34 Figure A2.28. Suriname: Labor Supply and Demand by Level of Education (Percent) 36 Figure A2.29. Suriname: Hourly Wages and Returns to Education 38 Figure A2.30. Suriname: Population Earning Below the Minimum Wage (Percent) 39 Figure A2.31. Suriname: Informality and Earnings 40 Figure A2.32. Suriname: Returns to Education and Development 40 Figure A2.33. Suriname: Highest Level of Education Completed by Adults, National and by Gender (Percent) 41 Figure A2.34. Suriname: Gender Differences in Labor Market Outcomes (Percent) 42 Figure A2.35. Suriname: Labor Force Participation and Employment by Gender and Educational Attainment (Percent) 43 Figure A2.36. Suriname: High Rates of Early Marriage and Adolescent Fertility Contribute to Gender Disparities in Labor Market Outcomes 43 TABLES Table A2.1. Suriname: Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Workforce 14 Table A2.2. Profile of Firms in Suriname 26 KEY FINDINGS • Suriname’s aggregate labor market indicators, such as the labor force participation rate, unemployment rate, share of wage workers, share of workers in vulnerable employment, and share of youth not in employment

FAQs

What key labor market problems does the annex identify for Suriname?

It highlights labor force participation and unemployment patterns, low labor productivity and wages, skills deficits reported by firms, and a mismatch between labor supply and demand.

How do skills shortages relate to educational and training outcomes in Suriname?

Over 55 percent of firms report an inadequately educated and trained workforce as an operational obstacle, linked mainly to the low quality of local educational institutions and resulting skill shortages.

Why are labor market outcomes worse for women in Suriname?

Despite outperforming men in educational attainment, women participate less in the labor market and face higher unemployment. The annex links this to high rates of teen marriage and pregnancy and social norms assigning more domestic and family chores to women.

Jul 19, 2026

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