The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Labour Dion Foulkes has downplayed the slight dip in the unemployment rate, saying yesterday many of the jobs from the sample period came from temporary employment and it is likely these workers are now on the unemployment line.

Mr Foulkes comments came in a statement reacting to the latest labour force study released by the Department of Statistics on Friday, which showed the unemployment rate is now pegged at 9.9 per cent — a 1.7 per cent decrease from the results of October’s survey.

He was not the only one to downplay the new job figures.

Veteran trade unionist John Pinder yesterday expressed doubt that the Progressive Liberal Party created over 39,000 “sustainable jobs” while in office, charging that the vast majority of those jobs were temporary in nature and nothing “people could make a career out of.”

Mr Pinder, Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) president, said he believes no more than 25 per cent of the 39,505 jobs added to the economy by the former administration between May 2012 and May 2017 are viable ones, and that the rest were the result of various government sponsored programmes or initiatives.

“The Ministry of Labour is pleased that the level of unemployment in the country has declined particularly on the islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco, two of our more populated islands,” Mr Foulkes said on Monday. “We are, however, mindful of the fact that the survey was conducted during the period April 24-30, 2017, just a few weeks prior to the recent general elections. Encouraged by the statistics gathered during the sampling period, which is reflective of the temporary and short (term) jobs associated with the carnival and general elections, many of these employees, sadly, have since reverted to unemployed status and are seeking new opportunities in the labour market.”

The senator said the Minnis administration is planning an expansion of the National Training Agency and is in discussions with the Inter-American Development Bank to finalise the implementation of the National Apprenticeship Programme as a way to better train young people to enter the job market.

He said the opening of more hotels at Baha Mar in Winter 2018, the reopening of the Grand Lucayan Resort in Grand Bahama and an increase in new businesses as a result of government confidence will all increase job opportunities.

“The bold and innovative policies of the Minnis administration are designed to provide permanent and sustainable employment for our citizens. I am confident that during the next Labour Force Survey, the results of our policies will cause the unemployment rate to be further reduced,” Mr Foulkes said.

Doubt

Meanwhile, Mr Pinder said Urban Renewal, the Christie administration’s Yes Bahamas campaign for the 2016 referendum on gender equality, and employment in the construction sector after Hurricane Matthew are examples of these “short-term” opportunities that likely boosted job figures.

Mr Pinder said while the statistics showed a 29.2 per cent boost in civil service employment – the greatest increase in any sector, the “bulk” of those hirings were likely those made throughout the various law enforcement agencies.

Mr Pinder’s comments were in response to the recent jubilation expressed by PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts over the country’s unemployment rate dipping below 10 per cent for the first time since the great recession.

The labour survey was conducted between April 24 and April 30 by the Department of Statistics.

According to the survey, the unemployment rate in New Providence was 10.4 per cent; 12.4 per cent in Grand Bahama and 7.8 in Abaco.

The results listed employment increases in the civil service, tourism industry and construction sector as contributing factors for the decrease. However, no sector experienced a greater increase in employment than the civil service.

In a statement Friday, Mr Roberts said the employment numbers show that 39,505 jobs were added to the economy between May 2012 and May 2017, and that 7,770 of that total were added in the last six months of the Christie administration.

Mr Roberts said those figures “represent further empirical evidence that the PLP did the heavy lifting and laid a firm and strong foundation of progress on which to build.”

“Out of those 39,000 jobs they (claimed) may have produced or cut the unemployment rate, I will bet you no more than about 25 per cent of them are sustainable jobs where people can work…and reach the point where they are able to receive a pension or even qualify to lending institution for mortgages or any long-term lending,” Mr Pinder said.

“So based on that, they would have hired over the last five years, hundreds of police officers, hundreds of defense force officers, hundreds of customs and immigration officers. “I believe the bulk of hiring was in the uniformed branches and the disciplined forces. But honestly the persons who were hired under Urban Renewal, and round here to clean the street and the contract workers, I don’t call them job creation.

“The hurricane created some jobs because you got to cleanup, and there’s a cleanup effort after that. During the referendum, they had people all over the streets handing out fliers, Urban Renewal would have created some short-term jobs that relates to them cleaning up properties and trying to refurbish old people’s homes and stuff like that.

“I want them to be able to create jobs that people could make a career out of.”

Mr Pinder said the statistics were more curious given Grand Bahama’s high unemployment issues, a problem he thinks is graver than the statistics suggest.

“I would jump off a bridge if you could really tell me that the unemployment rate in Grand Bahama is 12.5 per cent,” he added, referring to Grand Bahama’s statistics. “Are you kidding me? I’m in Freeport two, three times a month. Freeport is a ghost town. Ain’t no employment in Freeport, unless the people have all moved to New Providence or Bimini and stopped looking for jobs. But don’t tell me the unemployment rate in Freeport is 12.4 per cent. I don’t believe that.”