MORE JOBS IN SVG THAN EVER BEFORE AS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS
LABOUR IS WORKING
Our government’s Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves, rightly declared just over two weeks ago on the WE FM “Sunday discussion programme” hosted by Cecil Ryan, that SVG is currently experiencing the highest employment of workers, absolutely, and proportionately as a percentage of the labour force, since 1838. As a corollary, he corrected asserted that there exists today in SVG the lowest unemployment rate since 1838.
Camillo referenced the data from the 2022 Labour Market Survey which is published on the government’s website. The data showed, that in accord with the internationally-recognised definition of unemployment, the unemployment rate is 2022 was 10.8 percent of the labour force. What is this internationally-recognised definition? Simple and sensible: A person is unemployed if he/she is able to work (15 years old and older with no incapacity), available to work, and looking for work, and cannot find work.
Camillo further pointed out that since the Labour Market Survey was concluded in 2022, many more jobs have been created, for example, in the hotel and tourism sector since the opening of Sandals (in early 2024) and other hotel/tourism facilities, central government construction projects (big capital projects such as the Modern Port, sea defences, Road rebuilding, housing reconstruction after hurricane Beryl, etc.), the capital programme of state enterprises, and major private investments in various sectors. As a consequence of these post-2022 jobs, Camillo opined that the jobless rate is now at a level of single digits, high single digits, below the 10 percent marker.
Camillo buttressed his authoritative submission with reference to the active registrants at the National Insurance Services (NIS) for the year 2024.
NIS DATA
In analysing the NIS data, it must be noted that the NIS estimates that some 20 percent of the employed persons do not register at the NIS. Everyone knows that large numbers of persons do not register and pay the NIS contribution. Such persons include farm workers, domestic workers, itinerant construction workers, fisherfolk, employees of minibus operators, a host of self-employed persons. Under the law, self-employed persons are not legally compelled to register, only those in an employer-employee relationship are obliged legally to be registered by their employer. Thus, more persons are actually employed than are registered at the NIS.
So, let us look at the NIS data from the year 2000 to the first quarter (January to March) in 2025. The increase in active registrants at the NIS, reflecting almost entirely an increase in jobs; surely if you are not working there is no need to pay a NIS contribution.
At the end of December 2000, the number of active contributors (employees., self-employeds, and voluntary) stood at 30,385. In 2019, the pre-COVID year, the number showed an increase to 42,856 active contributions; this latter number declined marginally to 42,749 in 2020, and a further, more substantial decline, to 40,968 in 2021 (COVID and volcanic eruption year). Thus, between the year 2000 and the pre-COVID year of 2019 there was a 41 percent increase in active contributors, reflecting largely an increased in jobs.
At the end of the first quarter (January to March) 2024, the active contributors stood at 48,411 in the following categories: active employees 46,856; active self-employeds 1,317; and active voluntary contributors 238. One year later, at the end of the first quarter in 2025, the active contributors reached 50,131: active employees 48,528; active self-employeds 1,356; and active voluntary contributions 247. Of note is the fact that in the first quarter of 2024, the new employees registered numbered 392; and in 2025, 468 new employees.
Both the absolute numbers and the trends fully support Camillo’s data presentation and analysis.
REAL ECONOMIC GROWTH
Since 2021, following the post-COVID and volcanic eruption years (2020 and 2021), SVG has experienced real economic growth and, consequentially, has witnessed increased job creation, including quality jobs. Real economic growth has been powered by private sector investment (local, reginal, and foreign direct investment), public sector investment largely through capital programmes, and an increasingly diversified and competitive economy fuelled by the impact of, among other things, the education revolution, an enhanced application of science and technology, the operationalisation of major transformative projects (Argyle International Airport, Rabacca Bridge), improved road and sea transport, health facilities, cultural and sporting facilities, good governance, mature regionalism, and an efficacious foreign policy, etc.
Robust real economic growth was recorded in 2022, 2023, and 2024. A more modest but still elevated growth rate of 4.8 percent is projected for 2025. Substantial economic growth is also projected for the medium-term in 2026 and 2027.
Record levels of capital expenditure in the public sector have contributed significantly to real economic growth. Each year (2022, 2023, and 2024) has experienced record levels of public sector capital spending; in 2024, the central government’s capital spending was a whopping $520 million. In 2025, thus far, the January to May capital spending by the central government is ahead of the comparable numbers for 2024. Additionally, state enterprises such as VINLEC, CWSA, National Properties, and the Argyle International Airport have added significantly to the capital expenditure by the central government.
The bonanza of private and public capital expenditure has stretched the production capacity of the country, including the capacity of the labour force, locally-sourced materials for construction, and project management capacity. Consider this: the US$300 million Sandals Project was being built at the time as the US$270 million Port Modernisation Project, and the US$50 million Holiday Inn, plus other huge capital projects, such as sea defenses, the Vincent Beache Stadium, the Arnos Vale Cricket Complex, the school building programme, massive road construction, and the housing rebuilding programme after hurricane Beryl. As soon as Sandals and Holiday Inn were competed, the US$100 million Acute Care Hospital had its construction start-up, in addition to other significant projects both public and private sectors.
In the offing for late 2025 and into 2026 and 2027 are the US$375 million Beaches Resort for Mt. Wynne and the US$150 million Marriott Hotel for Peter’s Hope. The heavy state-financed capital programme continues apace, too. When the Beaches Resort is completed in 2027, a permanent staff of 1,400 will be required; at the Marriott there will be 600 permanent employes. Meanwhile, Sandals is expanding. Currently there is a planned expansion of 33 extra suites and a block of another 100 rooms. Expansion is taking place, too, in agriculture, fisheries, light manufacturing, cultural and entertainment services, and technology services.
We are on the right path with our economic and social policies. The real challenges are externally-sourced (climate change and the growing contradictions in the global political economy) and internally-derived behavioural problems of a small subset of young males who have a fascination for guns, a greed driven by the cocaine trade, and a propensity to criminal violence.
STRATEGIC ECONOMIC PARTADGM IS DELIVERING
The ULP government’s quest to build a modern, competitive, many-sided, post-colonial economy that is at once national, regional and global, is delivering beneficial material results for the people of SVG. This quest is being pursued through a tri-partite partnership between the private, cooperative, and state economic sectors. The optimal outcomes are: Job and wealth creation; poverty reduction; low-to-moderate inflation; inclusive prosperity; fiscal, banking, and financial stability; exchange rate stability; increase in wages and salaries; strengthening social protection; improved conditions of life and living for all.
More and more, the genius of our people is coming to the fore. And there is more propound tapping into hidden or submerged resources or “rationalities” which are coming more than ever to the fore. Still, we have to enhance our attitudes to work and production — workers and managers, all who are located in the social organization of labour.
MEANWHILE IGNORANCE AND FOLLY FROM THE NDP
Meanwhile, how have the NDP spokespersons responded to the good news and wealth creation, inclusive prosperity, and enhanced social protection? By ignorance and folly!
Fitz Bramble, quick to respond to Camillo, is clearly out of his depths. How can he enter the debate, rationally, when he does not understand what constitutes the labour force and what is the internationally-recognised definition of unemployment? Further, without any evidence or analysis, he seeks to debunk the Labour Market Survey; and he completely misunderstands the “proxy” NIS data and their import. Did he really study economics? Or does he have an interest only in “brambling”?
More worrisome to the electorate than the utterances of the infantile and silly Brambler, is the lack of any coherent economic strategy, no credible economic plans, the absence of any comprehensive developmental narrative for SVG offered by the NDP. Their reliance continues to be on the unsustainability and recklessness of selling passports to vagabonds galore and switching relations from Taiwan to mainland China. The bogus menu of passport selling and Chinese “take-away” are bound to choke the leaders of the NDP. Currently, the NDP is a clear and present danger to the public good of SVG and its people.
