Sancti Spíritus is grappling with one of Cuba's most troubling unemployment rates. Approximately 91,300 individuals of working age in the province remain jobless out of an economically active population of around 203,400, equating to nearly 45% unemployment.
Figures released this Monday by the state-run newspaper Escambray highlight a contradiction within the region's labor market: while state-run sectors have vacant positions that remain unfilled, private and cooperative sectors are fully staffed and rarely report openings.
“According to the latest recorded statistics, around 91,300 people are currently unemployed in the province, despite an abundance of vacancies in state centers. This is due to increased emigration, an aging population, and a preference for jobs in private businesses,” the report states.
Vacant state positions mainly require medium-level technicians and specialists with higher qualifications, jobs that workers are reluctant to take due to insufficient salaries that fail to justify the effort involved.
The purchasing power of the Cuban peso, which "declines every day" according to the official media, is the primary factor discouraging formal employment in the state sector.
Nationally, the average state salary was 6,930 pesos in 2025, approximately $13 in the informal market, a figure that explains why half of Cuba's working-age population neither works nor seeks employment, as reported by the National Employment Survey published in July 2025.
The Shift Toward Private Sector Jobs
In Sancti Spíritus, most of the 203,400 economically active residents are already engaged in the non-state and cooperative sectors, a trend Escambray acknowledges as "new in this balance" and indicative of a shift towards private enterprise.
Unemployment is compounded by the issue of interrupted workers: about 2,700 employees have faced temporary suspension due to the energy crisis and shortages of raw materials, fuel, and transportation.
Many of these workers have resorted to telecommuting, though only 530 individuals across the territory are officially in this mode due to employers' reluctance to adopt it for fear of losing their workforce's knowledge and experience.
Government Response and Demographic Challenges
The regime amended the Labor Code through Decree 149/2026, published in the Official Gazette on May 28, which regulates the situation of interrupted workers: it guarantees 100% of the salary for the first month and 60% from the second month onward.
To address unemployment, two job fairs were organized in the province in 2026, placing 2,700 workers and offering training courses for disengaged youth, including training for linemen by the Electric Company and police by the Ministry of the Interior.
Unemployment in Cuba also has a critical demographic dimension in Sancti Spíritus: the province recorded a population loss of 8,689 residents in 2024, due to low birth rates, rapid aging, and massive emigration.
A reader of Escambray bluntly summarized the situation in the comments: "What economy can advance or even stir with almost half of its workforce inactive and not contributing? In Cuba, they don't work because with a salary of $10 or less a month, they can't even buy eggs."
The official report concludes that "many complex issues define the labor market trends in Sancti Spíritus," but it avoids identifying the root cause: 67 years of communist dictatorship have eroded work incentives, driven away the population, and left a state economy unable to compete with the private sector for available labor.
Understanding Unemployment in Sancti Spíritus
What is the unemployment rate in Sancti Spíritus?
The unemployment rate in Sancti Spíritus is approximately 45%, with 91,300 people of working age without jobs out of an economically active population of 203,400.
Why are state-sector jobs remaining vacant?
State-sector jobs are often unfilled because they require skilled workers who are deterred by low salaries that do not justify the effort, especially when compared to opportunities in the private sector.
What measures has the government taken to address unemployment?
The government has amended the Labor Code to provide financial support to interrupted workers and organized job fairs to place workers and offer training courses to youth.