ITSEE Saint-Martin: unemployment down by 4.6 per cent year-on-year
The Territorial Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (ITSEE) in Saint Martin has published its latest quarterly economic report. With unemployment figures falling and new businesses being set up, the labour market situation is improving. Conversely, air and maritime traffic has slowed during the first few months of the year.
In the first quarter of 2026, in Saint-Martin, the number of jobseekers registered with France Travail fell by ‘1.9 per cent’ over the period and by
‘4.6 per cent’ year-on-year. Furthermore, businesses in Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy have posted “more than 170 vacancies” with France Travail. Of these, four in ten posts are for contracts of at least six months, mainly in the hospitality, construction and maintenance sectors.
Furthermore, “399 businesses were registered”, representing an increase of “2 per cent” compared with the previous quarter and “11 per cent” year-on-year.
Transport sector sees sharp decline
In recent months, the transport sector has seen a decline in passenger numbers. Grand-Case Airport handled “41,838 passengers”, which is “15 per cent” fewer than in the previous quarter. This decline is partly due to Air Antilles ceasing operations. At the port of Marigot, the number of port calls also fell in January. The total volume of freight handled fell by 12 per cent compared with December 2025 and by 28 per cent year-on-year.
