Shane Gibson
By LAMECH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
THIRTY thousand people who were unemployed before May 2012 are now employed, Labour Minister Shane Gibson said in Parliament yesterday.
In his contribution to the 2014/2015 budget debate, the MP for Golden Gates said the government has the proof to back up his statements.
He earlier told Parliamentarians that he obtained the employment information from the National Insurance Board’s (NIB) contribution records at the request of Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis. He said the collection of NIB contributions is one of “a few ways we can tell how many jobs are operating in the Bahamas.”
“A new company would have to register for National Insurance and then as you have various employees being hired by various companies who have to pay contributions for them,” Mr Gibson said.
“(Mr Davis) asked me, why don’t you go to National Insurance, ask them for a list of all the companies that registered since May 7, 2012, ask them for a name list of the persons who companies took off their payroll six months prior to May 7, 2012 and then give me the list of all of the individuals, the new employees the companies start to contribute for between May 2012 and May 2014.
“Mr Speaker you know what we came up with? We had 43,000 persons who companies began paying contributions for the first time since May 7, 2012. Then we did a cross-reference as we said ‘hold on a second now’ because there were some persons who came off the payroll and we did the exercise and we got 13,000. So 13,000 from 43,000 leaves 30,000. So we had approximately 30,000 persons between May 2012 and May 2014 who are employed today who were not employed prior to that time.”
Two weeks ago during his 2014/2015 Budget Communication, Prime Minister Perry Christie confirmed to parliamentarians that during his administration’s two years in office, labour market conditions improved slightly with 2,600 jobs added to the Bahamian workforce.
Mr Christie explained that employment figures, which covered six months of the year 2013 up to November, resulted in a lowered jobless rate. That rate, he said, fell to 15.4 per cent from 16.2 per cent overall.
The job creation numbers, however, disagree with a figure printed on the inside cover page of a magazine created and funded by Bahamas Information Services (BIS) to mark the government’s two years in office.
The 60-page document, which was distributed days prior to the PM’s remarks in Parliament, had a caption which read: “Almost 7,000 new jobs created as Christie government marks 2nd anniversary in office.”
In response to the document, Opposition leader Dr Hubert Minnis told The Tribune he was doubtful that the government created 7,000 jobs.
He added: “This Christie-led government should be ashamed of themselves for using our tax dollars to fund this obvious PLP propaganda tool. The bigger question here is exactly what did BIS pay to have these books produced?”
If labour force statistics since 2011 are considered, nearly 7,000 jobs were added. At that time, the employed labour force consisted of 160,185.
Later in 2012, Department of Statistics officials concluded an increase of 165,255 and then in 2013 166,595 persons were employed. The overall number of new jobs during that three-year period came to 6,410.
Additional labour force statistics state that are 30,285 unemployed people in the Bahamas.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 5 months ago
I'm sure there's someone under a tree with a beer in their hand saying "yeah, the PLP created 30,000 jobs, what ya'll gat to say about that!?" Or maybe that's just birdie
Not surprising that after all the discussions between these two heads or "brains", none gave a thought to whether these were people who were supposed to be paying but weren't? Not surprising at all. God give us a just leader
Rinks 10 years, 5 months ago
This is a bunch of crap.even if you hire someone for one single day you pay national insurance this is not the correct way to calculate how many jobs u have created.majority of the Times the worker is back on the streets in a matter of days.how about those hotel workers who have been working one and two days for almost a year now but the economy is getting better.30000 jobs where...I hope Mr.Gibson don't even believe that BS. .
TalRussell 10 years, 5 months ago
Comrade Bahamalanders have watched enough episodes from the NIB to not want to react with great suspicion to anything about paychecks when it comes to a government known to be disingenuous when it comes to playing semantic numbers games over paychecks, if they think it can help to cloud their failings. How many of these 30,000 jobs did not come from new jobs created but were to replace FIRED workers, including those FIRED from the Numbers Houses jobs? Can the Minister of Labour now confirm the total number of "Numbers Workers, who are actually paying into the National Insurance Board? during the referendum it loudly promoted that over 5,000 Numbers Workers were registered with NIB. Then it was claimed by the NIB, that the number was more like 700? Somebody is being "disingenuous?"
moncurcool 10 years, 5 months ago
It is amazing how many senile persons are in the House of Assembly. Yet Sandilands would not come and take them to where they belong. Is Shane Serious? Did he read over his speech before he came to parliament? Does he in all stupidity believe they created 30,000 jobs since 2012 just because of NIB contributions? That comment alone ought to be enough to kick him out of the House of Assembly.
. I'm just sick and tried of these tired politicians with the lame way of doing things. Is there any wonder our country is going the way it is when you have idiots running the show?
mangogirl01 10 years, 5 months ago
SG is a pompous one, the PLP under PGC was never known to do things the right way, the hard way, always taking damn shortcuts!!
justthefactsplease 10 years, 5 months ago
I am at a loss...they created 30,000 jobs, there were 30,285 unemployed...does that mean we now have 285 unemployed persons in The Bahamas????? (scratching head)
mangogirl01 10 years, 5 months ago
Lol, yeah only 285 looking for jobs!! They should be dancing in the streets at their magic!!
Fitmiss 10 years, 5 months ago
Does this number include the high school and college graduates who just entered the job market? This does not prove that those who were fired were rehired. I need some further clarification on this. Sorry but I am not drinking this Kool-Aid.
eyeswideopen 10 years, 5 months ago
Complete and utter BULL S#¥T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Honeybun 10 years, 5 months ago
30,000...Where they do that at??? Shame go and sit down please...talking nonsense.
GrassRoot 10 years, 5 months ago
He may be right that 30,000 got a job in the meantime. He forgets to tell us that 90,000 lost their job in the same time period, and then I wonder whether those 30,000 pay NIS contributions (or their employers accordingly).
Maynergy 10 years, 5 months ago
In reference to who should be the next Governor I believe the need for a Governor that represents the Queen of England should be abolished and if any Governors are to be named, they should be Governors of each Bahamian island that tends to the affairs of the islanders. micalvoice@gmail.com
Purcell 10 years, 5 months ago
Government jobs are not jobs. The government takes money from the private sector and give it to nonproductive people in the public sector. It is nothing to brag about, it is something that is a drain on the economy.
John 10 years, 5 months ago
SHANE GIBSON DID NOT LIE, the government created 30,000 new jobs! 3,000 jobs for real and 27,000 holograms!
jackbnimble 10 years, 5 months ago
My sentiments exactly!! Where did they get this nonsense from! They need to come off this "jobs" run. It didn't work in their last term and it definitely ain't working in this one. Bunch of SH***!
realfreethinker 10 years, 5 months ago
How dumb shane could be . last month their booklet said thye created 2600 jobs since may and by magic 30,000 appear this month . we are in trouble with people like them in office
DillyTree 10 years, 5 months ago
And the NIB is such a pillar of integrity and honesty, so we must believe the figures. And Shane Gibson is also such a pillar of integrity and honesty, so we must believe him too. If the government has created 30,000 jobs, then why are so many people out of work and the social services department has seen a 600% increase in people resquesting services (according to Melanie Griffith's budget contribution)??
SP 10 years, 5 months ago
You red shirt clowns are really that ignorant? Can't you idiots figure out anything?!
Shane Gibson simply said "Hocus Pocus" six times, turn three times left and nine times right, jumped seven times facing East, landing on his left foot facing West, and rubbed his Philippians housekeeper's backside counterclockwise seven times.......And "puff" 30,000 jobs!
I really cannot see why you people have a problem understanding any of that.
For his next dumb illusion for stupid diehards, Shane Gibson will tell us more about Bahamians first. As soon as they are done getting all the illegal Haitians sorted.
Yep....What a great country we have!
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