In the late 1980s Guyana's wage labor force consisted of about 270,000 persons. The Trades Union Congress is the leading labor federation. Coconuts, citrus fruit, corn, manioc, and other tropical fruits and vegetables are grown mainly for home consumption. Large areas of rough pasture exist in the interior savannas. Substantial numbers of cattle, hogs, sheep, and chickens are raised.
Cultivation is confined almost entirely to the narrow coastal strip of rich, alluvial soil.
Agricultural expansion requires heavy expenditures for protection against flooding and for drainage and irrigation, because part of the strip is below the high-tide mark of the sea and rivers and because of the heavy seasonal rainfall. The government is trying to increase the amount of land available for cultivation through reclamation projects. Most consisted of hardwoods, used mainly in construction and furniture making. Large tracts of forestland were opened for logging in the early 1990s. Fishing is concentrated along the Atlantic coast.