Rate of unemployment unacceptable - PNCR

Rate of unemployment unacceptable – PNCR

Apr 19, 2010 News

With the need for job creation permeating the atmosphere of the recently concluded meeting of the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD), Peoples National Congress Reform Shadow Labour Minister, Basil Williams, says that his party has been touting the notion for some time now.

CARICOM Secretary General, Edwin Carrington, in his address to the gathering of Labour Ministers, said that “the persistent high rates of unemployment maintained by the slow rates of job creation in most countries, the downturn in the services sector, particularly the tourism industry in most Caribbean countries, continue to impact negatively on the economies of our Region.”

Carrington said that, “This crisis has created a level of uncertainty that will test the mettle of the Labour leaders, of Government Ministers and Ministries as well as the creativity of employers and employees alike. It highlights more than ever, the value and virtues of developing, and in some cases, consolidating social partnerships among Government, employers, labour unions and others in civil society.”

Williams recently pointed out the fact that his party has been calling for job creation for some time now and drew reference to his budget presentation.

In that presentation, Williams told the House that the labour force data from the 2002 census conducted by the Bureau of Statistics revealed that in 2002, the number of unemployed was 31,072 or 11.7 percent.

He said that a Household Budget Survey done in 2006 showed that the figure for the unemployed was 28,024, and since no recent survey has been done, it is evident that more jobs have been lost and more persons added to the ranks of the unemployed.

“It is safe to say that the figure for the jobless could be around 42,000.”

At that time he drew reference to the fact that the Labour Minister, Manzoor Nadir, had said, “We can’t guarantee every person we train a job…I say to him, ‘yes Mr. Minister it is your duty, to find and create jobs for the Guyanese people, and you have failed to do so”.

He said that his party recommends that this government adopts as its number one priority, measures to increase jobs and reduce this unacceptable high rate of unemployment.