Ladies and gentlemen, according to the labor force statistics of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the overall employment situation of women in Curacao did not evolve significantly between 2003 and 2009. Women’s participation in the labor market was 43 percent on average, lower than the 48 percent average participation of males.
Meanwhile, unemployment among women is still higher (11.3%), albeit declining, than among men (7.9%). The question arises as to what can be done to increase the female labor force participation, thereby closing the male – female labor force gap. To answer this question, we need to have more insights into what factors determine a woman’s decision to join the labor force.