Bradley Roberts
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
NEW LABOUR Force statistics have validated the Christie administration’s job creation claims and confirmed the success of efforts to turn around the economy, PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts said yesterday.
Mr Roberts praised the government over the reduction in the number of discouraged workers, and addition of more than 8,000 jobs as reported by the Department of Statistics.
He told critics to “eat crow, and to do so liberally” in a press statement released yesterday.
Mr Roberts also called on Opposition Leader Dr Hubert Minnis to apologise to the Prime Minister and Bahamas Information Services (BIS) for his criticisms over the accuracy of previously reported job numbers.
“Dr Minnis reportedly made disparaging and totally inaccurate remarks to the press about the reported job numbers quoted in the second anniversary magazine published by BIS in May of this year on the government’s accomplishments,” the statement read. “Now that the statute authority of the government (Department of Statistics) has reported and supports the job figures published by BIS, Minnis should do the right thing and apologise to both PM Christie and BIS specifically.
“He should know that it is improper and potentially embarrassing to challenge the official voice of the government without empirical evidence of support and before conducting the requisite due diligence.”
However last night, FNM Shadow minister for Finance Peter Turnquest maintained that the figure was still short of the government’s 10,000 jobs pledge, and that earlier claims still represented an attempt to mislead the public.
Mr Turnquest added that the government had yet to table documents to support its claim that 22,000 jobs were created during the Christie-led administration’s 2002 to 2007 term.
Reports have indicated that the actual figure was around 18,000 jobs.
Released on Friday, the Labour Force Survey revealed a slight increase in the overall number of employed persons and a reduction in the unemployment rate to 14.3 per cent from 15.4.
The number of discouraged workers dropped 60 per cent in Grand Bahama from 1,915 to 760, and 12.4 per cent in New Providence.
Discouraged workers are not considered unemployed as they no longer actively seek work because they feel that there are no jobs available, according to the International Labour Organisation.
However, youth unemployment at 28 per cent among those aged 15 to 24 remained considerably higher when compared to other age categories.
The study was conducted from April 28 to May 4.
Yesterday, Mr Roberts said the figures represent “meteoric” economic turnaround over the state of the economy when the Christie administration took office in 2012.
The PLP chairman’s statement read: “This is not an opinion but empirical evidence that despite the politically motivated naysaying and the many sermons of gloom and doom, Bahamians across this archipelago have hope and strong confidence in this government’s economic policies as the right formulae to right the Bahamian ship of state.
“Inheriting an economic mess in May 2012 where the economy had bled over 15,000 jobs during the FNM years in government coupled with immeasurable suffering of the Bahamian people where the misery index was off the charts, the addition of over 8,000 jobs to the economy in just two short years is welcomed and encouraging news.”
Mr Roberts also congratulated the government over its new five-year industrial agreement with the Bahamas Public Service Union, which saw an $800 increase to minimum wage for public servants.
“I further congratulate the government for their good work and fiscal prudence that placed government finances in a position to increase the take home wages of thousands of civil servants. This is in stark contrast to the state of the treasury and economy left behind by the FNM government in May 2012 where there were serious and real uncertainties about the government’s ability to meet the public payroll.”
“I also note with pride that the announcement of the consultative process with a view to extending duty free concessions to both east and west Grand Bahama is also welcomed news and a an important component in the recovery strategy for the economy of that island.
“These concessions will go a long way in encouraging investment, stimulating job growth and creating greater economic prosperity for our brothers and sisters in the north.
Comments
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 3 months ago
Eat crow? PLP promised 10,000 jobs on May8th, 2012!!! Your numbers should be closer to 20,000 had you put 10,000 in on May8th, 2012....
Bout eat crow......
What an ass......
hurricane 10 years, 3 months ago
The Comrades xyz jackass in 5...4....
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
Bradley is an ole PLP ..... he got rich off the PLP gravy train and even brags that he has no education. So if a 70 year old man is still running the PLP ...... what do you expect them to say????? There may be some jobs but they are generally low level, low quality, low paying jobs. Only the PLP cronies are enjoying this economy right now.
thomas 10 years, 3 months ago
Could this be a result of creative maths ? If a contract is given to a company that hires 100 persons, can you count the 100 persons on a job as new hires?
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
Its called "spin-offs" job creation ............. thats the political spin explanation
jlcandu 10 years, 3 months ago
I'd like to know where all these jobs are? I presume most of the them are in the Public Service. Since the economy is growing at a rate of around 1%, there is no way in hell that unemployment dropped by 8,000 jobs (total unemployed persons at November 2013 was over 43,000).
I have a feeling this is more PLP creative accounting ...
The Department of Statistics needs to show where these so-called jobs were created in order to give some semblance of reliability.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
I feel for any official at the Dept. of Statistics.......... How can they (DOS) report the truth in the face of the political pressure exerted by these PLP propagandists?
ChaosObserver 10 years, 3 months ago
the boy's smoking his own crack....
John 10 years, 3 months ago
Ok so 8,000 jobs created. Bah Mar to create another 6,000 in December (or March depending on who you listen to) with another 2000 spin off jobs. Bimini creating jobs so is Bamsi in Andros and several projects in Freeport and other Family Islands. That adds up to over 20,000 jobs by early next year. The number of murders seem like it will be under 100 this year for the first time in about 5 years! So look like this government on a roll! They rollin!
birdiestrachan 10 years, 3 months ago
Eight Thousand jobs is very good . Very close to what Mr. Davis promised .but the FNM in their daze are still back in time between 2002 and 2007. I suppose they have to find something negative to say. Those fellows seems to want nothing good for the Bahamas as a whole.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 3 months ago
I stand to be corrected but this is a little further from what he promised. May 2014 is gone, that's 2yrs. If I remember correctly he said 10,000 in year *one. They haven't reached 10,000 after year two....talk about daze...
John 10 years, 3 months ago
But what they really need is some blue collar jobs for young men. Many young fellas want to work but they don't want to put on no coat suit and slippery shoes. They don't want work in nobody office still. Maybe a project to make Carmichael four lanes?
John 10 years, 3 months ago
If things hold true to form does this mean the Bahamas will experience full employment by early 2016? And as the employment rate goes up, the crime rate should come down.
pat242 10 years, 3 months ago
I wonder why Bahamians are so negative. If it is true that jobs where created thats good. Some people fail to realize many Bahamians are unemployed because they are not qualified for certain jobs and the lower paid jobs are full to the capacity. Instead of nagative Bahamians critizing the government they should work with Bahamians who really need help. Besides some of the locals who think they are up there, remeber there was a time when you did not know what you know now and was looking for some kind of help. So give back to soceity and encurage Bahamians to take back their country through education, loyalty to their country and the love of eath other. Especially the nations youth. If the foreigners can come here and work together to make their living conditions better, why can't Bahamians.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
BAMSI will employ, train or educate anyone who cannot find a job in Nassau after September ............... that's Perry dream project ...................... post UR 2.0
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