Employers in the Cayman Islands advertised nearly 2,000 jobs in a single month, with March 2026 postings reaching 1,984.
The total was a 37.4% increase from the 1,444 recorded a year earlier, according to Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC) in its latest Jobs Posting Report.
Over the entire first quarter, postings totalled 5,427, up 20.2% from 4,516 over the same period in 2025.
In March, the private sector drove the bulk of demand, accounting for 1,960 of the total compared to 24 from the government.
Grand Cayman took the lion’s share with 1,931 openings, while Cayman Brac had 41 and Little Cayman 12, and 97% of all roles were full-time.
Construction topped the list with 343 postings, or 17.3% of the total, followed by accommodation and food services at 284 (14.3%) and administrative and support services at 281 (14.2%).
Together, the top five industries accounted for 70% of all openings.
The financial and insurance sector posted 143 roles in March and 327 year to date – a 30.8% increase from the corresponding 2025 period.
The sector’s highest-paying roles were managing directors and chief executives at CI$315,347 average annual salary, trade brokers at $271,700 and mathematicians, actuaries and statisticians at $144,688.
Branch managers in the sector averaged $131,561, and financial and investment advisers $121,423.
Insurance representatives, averaging $90,743 annually, ranked among the territory’s 20 highest-paying occupations year to date.
More than 62% of financial-sector postings in March required only a high school diploma or equivalent, while 12.6% called for a bachelor’s degree and 9.1% a master’s.
On experience, 32.9% of roles sought five to six years and 18.9% required 10 or more.
Across all industries, managing directors and chief executives topped the pay scale at $305,085 in March, with trade brokers at $271,700 and lawyers at $204,028.
A doctoral degree commanded the highest average salary at $146,929, compared to $90,837 for a bachelor’s and $88,138 for a master’s – a pattern WORC said reflected a direct positive correlation between educational attainment and income.
The largest share of March postings – 28.9% – sought five to six years’ experience, followed by three to four years at 26.5%.
Just 17 positions, less than 1% of the total, required no prior experience.
WORC called for expanded public-private partnerships to address skills gaps, a territory-wide digital transformation plan and more entry-level and internship pathways.
The agency urged a “skills-first approach” to workforce development and continued investment in upskilling civil servants to adapt to artificial intelligence.
