The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ministry of Immigration, Tanya Santos-Neal, has confirmed that businesses across Belize are having difficulty finding employees, with labor shortages affecting industries ranging from agriculture to construction. According to Santos-Neal, areas such as San Pedro are feeling the impact particularly strongly as demand for both manual and skilled workers continues to rise.
Speaking on May 28th, Santos-Neal said the ministry has been receiving numerous requests from businesses seeking workers through the visa and work permit process.
“Many times, it is manual labor,” she said. “There is a huge shortage of manual labor in the country, and in certain sectors, there is a shortage of skilled labor as well.”
She noted that the agricultural industry, including banana plantations in southern Belize, has been among the sectors facing staffing challenges.
Santos-Neal added that Belize has seen an increase in the importation of skilled workers to help fill employment gaps. “That is what has created the high demand for visas and work permits in Belize,” she explained.
In San Pedro’s tourism industry, some hotels have reportedly turned to hiring managerial staff from abroad. The construction sector has also been affected by the labor shortage, including work on the new San Pedro/Caye Caulker General Hospital.
During a site inspection on May 27th, Area Representative Honorable Andre Perez acknowledged the challenge of finding workers on the island. “The labour force has been hard to get, and we all know that the construction industry here in San Pedro is booming,” Perez said. “Daily wages for construction workers on the island have climbed well above $100 [per day], a cost that was not factored into early projections.”
Perez also pointed to global economic pressures as a contributing factor. He noted that ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine have increased costs in ways that were not anticipated when many projects were initially planned.
Government officials continue to encourage Belizeans to take advantage of available job opportunities and contribute to the country’s economic growth. However, some island residents argue that low wages relative to the high cost of living remain a major factor behind the labor shortage.
Others believe that more investment is needed in workforce development to train Belizeans in specialized trades and professions, thereby reducing the country’s reliance on imported labor.
One San Pedro resident, who requested anonymity, said Belizeans are willing to work but expect fair compensation for their efforts. “If the pay is not fair, even skilled Belizeans will not take the jobs and may leave the country, leading to brain drain and the continued need to import both skilled and manual labor,” he said. “Fair treatment and fair wages can make a huge difference.”