Director of the CSO, Sean Mathurin, says the transition marks a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to modernize labour force statistics to provide a clearer, more accurate picture of Saint Lucia’s labour market. One, he says, that reflects how people work and earn in today’s evolving economy.
“Under this new approach, we are refining what we count as employment. Work is now defined narrowly as activities carried out for pay or profit. This means that unpaid activities such as subsistence farming, fishing for own use, or household work will no longer be classified as employment. Instead, they will be measured separately under a distinct category: own-use production work. This allows us to better recognize their contribution while ensuring that employment figures more accurately reflect participation in the paid labour market.”
Mathurin explained that Saint Lucia is moving from the 19th to the 21st International Conference of Labour Statisticians standards, a shift that will align the country with global best practices. The survey will now capture persons who are willing and able to work but are not actively seeking jobs, as well as those who are underemployed and working fewer hours than they would like.
“As we implement these changes, we may notice shifts in some of the figures we report. It is important to emphasize that these changes do not signal a decline in economic performance. Rather, they reflect a more precise, transparent, and internationally aligned way of measuring our labour market. Ultimately, this transition positions Saint Lucia to continue producing high-quality, internationally comparable data.”
Project Manager in the Office of the Director General – OECS Commission, Sherma Beroo, said the updated harmonized labour force instrument is critical for evidence-based policymaking across the region.
“The OECS labour force survey harmonized instrument represents a major step towards how we understand, measure and respond to labour market dynamics across our member states. As the standard tool used by the national statistical offices, it provides the foundation for producing reliable, comparable and policy-relevant labour force indicators.”
Beroo added that the revised tool also strengthens regional comparability by employing a common methodology.
“This training, therefore, is not just about understanding a questionnaire. It is about strengthening capacity across our statistical systems, deepening regional collaboration and ensuring that the data we produce truly reflects the realities of our labour markets.”
Senior Labour Statistician with the ILO, Antonio Discenza, says the organization remains committed to supporting countries in the region from survey design to the dissemination of results.
“You are not alone; we will support you from beginning to end, so from the survey design to the dissemination of results.”
Mathurin indicated that the transition now moves Saint Lucia from the pilot phase into full implementation. The training also included representatives from other territories, including Turks and Caicos, helping to build a regional community of labour statisticians.