Guyana’s Unemployment Falls to 6.2% as Food Prices Climb

GUYANA · ECONOMY

Guyana’s government says its economy has produced over 156,000 new jobs since 2020, even as food prices climb faster than overall inflation.

Guyana’s unemployment rate has fallen to 6.2%, according to the government’s 2026 Mid-Year Report. The Ministry of Finance report, posted on 15 September 2026, also credits the economy with more than 156,000 new jobs since 2020.

A Report Rio Times Had Been Waiting For

Guyana’s Ministry of Finance publishes a Mid-Year Report most years, covering January through June. Rio Times noted on 15 September that this year’s edition had not yet appeared.

President Irfaan Ali had already cited preliminary growth numbers by then.

The report is now posted on the ministry’s website. It fills in labour-market and price detail the government did not have ready when it first announced its headline growth figure.

The Jobs and Unemployment Numbers

Unemployment stands at 6.2%, the report says. Guyana’s labour force has grown 47.8% since the first quarter of 2020, according to the same report.

Officials count over 156,000 new jobs created since 2020. A Finance Ministry statement in July 2026 had put a similar tally at “over 104,000” jobs added over six years.

The new, higher figure reflects further hiring since that July statement.

A Familiar Growth Story, Confirmed

The same Mid-Year Report puts real GDP growth at 33.3% for the first half of 2026. That matches what President Ali announced at a press conference, as Rio Times reported this week.

Non-oil growth ran at 10.1% over the same period, the report confirms. This article focuses on the labour-market and price detail that first report did not cover.

The Other Side of the Ledger

Consumer prices rose 4.4% between the end of 2025 and the end of June 2026, the report says. Food prices climbed faster, up 6.7%, and made up most of that overall increase.

The 12-month inflation rate eased slightly, to 4% in June 2026 from 4.2% a year earlier. Prices are still rising, in other words, just not accelerating as fast as before.

Where Skilled Labour Is Scarce

The report says labour demand has outpaced the supply of workers with technical and professional skills. The government expects that gap to persist in the near term.

That is a different problem from unemployment. Guyana appears to have enough jobs; it may not yet have enough trained workers to fill the more specialized ones.

The Relief Already in Place

The government has leaned on direct cash support to offset rising costs. It paid a G$100,000 grant to every adult Guyanese, worth about US$477 at the September 2026 rate of roughly G$209.5 per US dollar.

That grant alone totalled G$42.5 billion, or about US$203 million, by mid-year.

It also raised the Old Age Pension from G$41,000 to G$46,000 a month (about US$196 to US$220). Public Assistance rose from G$22,000 to G$25,000 (about US$105 to US$119), Guyana Chronicle reported on 15 September 2026.

What Is Not Known

The report does not break the new jobs down by sector. It is not clear how many are linked to oil, construction or services.

It is also unclear whether the 6.2% figure uses the same methodology as the 6.8% rate the government cited for 2024. Rio Times could not confirm the exact comparison base behind the 6.2% number from the material available at publication.

What This Means for Guyanese Households and Newcomers

A falling unemployment rate and a tight market for skilled labour point the same direction. Workers with technical training have more leverage than they did a few years ago.

For foreign professionals considering Guyana, that skills gap can mean real openings, particularly in construction, engineering and energy-linked services. For lower-income households, food prices climbing faster than overall inflation matters more than any headline jobs number.

The government’s cash grants and pension increases are aimed directly at that second group. Whether they keep pace with food prices over the rest of 2026 is the open question.

What Comes Next

Guyana’s Bureau of Statistics is expected to keep publishing detailed data through the rest of the year. Whether the 156,000-job figure holds up under closer scrutiny remains to be seen.

That scrutiny will shape how ordinary Guyanese experience an economy still growing faster than almost any other in the world.

More: Guyana news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Guyana’s unemployment rate?

6.2%, according to the government’s 2026 Mid-Year Report, posted on 15 September 2026.

How many jobs has Guyana created?

The government counts more than 156,000 new jobs since 2020. The labour force has grown 47.8% since early 2020.

Are prices rising in Guyana too?

Yes. Consumer prices rose 4.4% in the first half of 2026. Food prices rose faster, up 6.7%, the same report says.

Is this the same report behind Guyana’s 33.3% growth figure?

Yes. Both come from the government’s 2026 Mid-Year Report, which also confirmed the growth rate President Ali announced earlier in September.

Sources: Guyana Ministry of Finance (Mid-Year Report 2026), Guyana Chronicle, HGPTV, Rio Times prior reporting. https://finance.gov.gy/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Mid-Year-Report-2026.pdf https://finance.gov.gy/mid-year-reports/ https://guyanachronicle.com/2026/09/15/massive-relief-package-cushions-effects-of-rising-prices/ https://www.hgptv.com/food-prices-up-6-7-govt-report-reveals-cost-of-living-pressure/ https://www.riotimesonline.com/guyana-economy-grew-33-3-in-first-half-of-2026-ali-says/