Mauritius is considered to have a well-educated workforce that is versatile and easily trainable. In 2017, the labour force in Mauritius was estimated at 586,900 which was made up of 356,600 males and 230,300 females. The employment rate was recorded at 545,100, comprising of 339,400 males and 205,700 females.
It was estimated that the number of people unemployed for 2017 was 41,800 of which 17,200 were men and 24,600 were women, translating to an average unemployment rate of 7.1%, with male unemployment significantly lower at 4.8%, but female unemployment higher at 10.7%, although the statistics also indicated that female employment was increasing faster than male employment, despite men being more economically active than women. Overall, the Mauritian labour force increased by 5,900 in 2017.