HGP Nightly News – Youth unemployment in Guyana declined from 31.9 percent in the third quarter of 2021 to 12.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to data highlighted by Chief Statistician Errol La Cruez.
In his message for World Population Day 2026, La Cruez said the figures show encouraging progress among young people and point to the importance of using reliable data to guide education, training, and employment policies.
Young people are being employed not only in traditional industries, but also in emerging areas of the economy.
According to the Bureau of Statistics, wholesale and retail trade, construction, public administration, manufacturing, and education together account for 60.5 percent of youth employment.
The data also show that the number of youths in the labour force with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent increased by 56.7 percent between the third quarter of 2021 and the fourth quarter of 2024.
At the same time, the share of youths not in education, employment, or training fell from 35.7 percent to 25 percent.
La Cruez said these gains demonstrate the importance of aligning education, technical training, and vocational programmes with the changing needs of the economy.
He noted that Guyana’s wider labour market has also improved.
The national unemployment rate fell from 14.5 percent in the third quarter of 2021 to 6.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Over the same period, the number of employed persons rose by 122,389, moving from 246,881 to 369,270.
The Chief Statistician also highlighted Guyana’s changing population profile.
The 2022 Census recorded a population of 878,674, representing a 17.63 percent increase over the 2012 Census.
By the end of 2024, Guyana’s population was estimated at 956,044. Updated estimates show it had surpassed one million by the end of 2025, reaching 1,025,334.
La Cruez said Guyana remains a youthful country, with 42 percent of the population below age 25 at the end of 2025. When the cutoff is shifted to age 35, that figure rises to 61 percent.
He said this youthful population presents opportunities to expand the workforce, strengthen innovation, and drive economic and social development.
But population growth also increases demand for housing, healthcare, education, transportation, utilities, and jobs.
La Cruez said preliminary 2022 Census data point to improvements in household living conditions and access to essential services over the past decade, including potable water, electricity, internet connectivity, land ownership, and vehicle ownership.
He said sustainable development must be measured not only by jobs and income, but also by access to services that support healthy, connected, and secure lives.
The Bureau of Statistics said reliable data remains essential for anticipating future demands, identifying emerging trends, and helping policymakers direct resources where they are needed most.
