Work permit holders in Cayman climb to 60 per cent of population

Cayman News Network (CNS) reports that the number of work permit holders in Cayman has increased to new highs again, according to figures from Work Force Residency Cayman. In December, there were 37,909 active permits for jobs across the board, from accountants to yoga instructors, the highest ever recorded. The most recent published figures from the Economics and Statistics Office, based on the 2024 Spring Labour Force Survey, showed that the local workforce is made up of 62,743 people.

If that increased through the rest of last year, it’s possible that expatriates now make up the largest percentage of workers in the country’s history.

The size of the labour force reflects the Cayman Islands’ rapidly growing population, and the number of work permit holders is likely to have passed 38,000 in the three months since the start of 2025. But the proportion of foreign workers, now estimated to be over 60 percent, has never been so high, even as there are still estimated to be around 1,300 unemployed Caymanians, and at least 600 local people claim they are currently under-employed.

The rise in the proportion of foreign workers in relation to locals is also a reflection of the increasing ability of employers to secure permits even when local people are looking for work.

The immigration system’s failings, from the starting point of temporary permits all the way through to status grants, are a major element of this current election cycle. Every party and candidate has identified immigration as a priority, but even when solutions have been offered, they came with few details, though most talked about the need for enforcement.

Candidates have also been debating which area of the issue should be addressed first. Some believe the problem will be resolved by stopping status grants to anyone other than by descent or marriage, while others believe the abuse of temporary work permits should be the priority.

The UPM minority government released a discussion white paper just before the parliament was prorogued ahead of the election. While there is an open invitation to people to comment on the document, the government did not offer any real explanation or public education campaign about it.

Download the WORC statistics on work permits by occupation, as of 6 December 2024.

INFORMATION SOURCE: Cayman News Network