Local unemployment climbs
Posted on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 13:39 in Local News
(CNS): Despite good news from the country’s experts that the local economy is improving, the government’s latest annual economic report shows that unemployment continues to climb, with over 1,700 Caymanians registered as unemployed – some 9.8% of the local workforce. Given that not all those who are currently out of work will necessarily register with the labour department, the real figure is likely to be considerably higher. According to the Economics and Statistics Office report, the labour force grew slightly at 0.8% in 2011 to 37,620 and although Caymanians benefitted the most, with the number of employed locals rising by 1.1%, the number of Caymanians out of work has also risen.
The overall number of unemployed was 2,353, with the unemployment rate rising by 0.1 percentage points to 6.3%. The number of Caymanians unemployed reached 1,732, resulting in a Caymanian unemployment rate of 9.8% in 2011. As expected, the unemployment rate for non-Caymanians was lower at 3.1% with 621 people recorded as unemployed.
One of the main factors affecting the unemployment of local workers as opposed to foreign nationals was the continued shrinking employment activity in the construction sector, which fell by 6.3%. Related manufacturing, mining and quarrying also fell by 7.5% and there was a fall of over 10% in administrative and support services, where many locals are employed.
At the close of the year, work permits had contracted by 2.9% from the 20,452 recorded a year ago to 19,852. By 31 March this year, according to the immigration website, the number had fallen again slightly to 20,309.
The rising levels of unemployment set against the numbers of work permits continues to cause concern, however, and during the budget debate the independent member for North Side, Ezzard Miller, warned government to keep a closer eye on unemployment levels among local workers because of the long term implications.
Miller said that government needed to get a grip on the number of unemployed Caymanians given that the over-employment rate was running at 60%. As the government is depending on work permits for funds, it is tempted to ignore the rate of unemployment among local workers. He said this was a vicious circle because government then had to spend more on social support for those who are out of work.
Unemployment is also particularly high in Cayman among young people leaving school and college, where unemployment levels are believed to be around 35%. In the ESO’s latest report on the labour force, which was released in May, only 55% of those aged between 15-24 who are currently in the workforce are employed. More than 50% of the country’s unemployed have been without work for 12 months or more, while almost one in every six has never had a job.
Related story on CNS Business
See ESO report below.
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| Cayman Islands Annual Economic Report 2011.pdf | 795.48 KB |
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A lot of the expats are from
A lot of the expats are from India- the service industry pay less for their foreighn workers than they legally could to local Caymanians-it's virtually like buying slaves-a lot of them have financial difficulties at home and their debts are paid by the Hotel industry, thay then have to work off thus new debt in the form of gruelling shift work back to back nights- with days and nights merging into one. The risks these guys are taking for their physical and mental heath iare huge-no way would these corporations be able to get away with what amounts to abuse in any other country !!
keke need to go that is a big
keke need to go that is a big problem why the unemployment continues to grow, ke ke is promising jobs but never delivers & he's always off island blowing away our hard $$$$$$! WE NEED NEW BLOOD & SOMEONE WHO HAS THE COUNTRY IN HEART NOT HIS POCKET !
What is the definition of an
What is the definition of an unemployed Caymanian? If I walk into any Post Office there are always Caymanians sitting around doing nothing. Are these people included in the "unemployment" figures?
They are termed "Post Office
They are termed "Post Office staff". They are paid to make up excuses why your post took 3 months from the States or the UK when we all know it is because the Cayman Post Office holds up everything until there is a full container to save costs. And then they charge you to pick up your own mail.
There are currently 2,353
There are currently 2,353 (registered) unemployed Caymanians and 20,309 expats on work permits. If I do the math correctly, if all the ex-pats were to leave, and the unemployed Caymanians filled the positions there would be 17,956 job openings on this island. Call me stupid but I'm not too sure the island could stay afloat. What the Government needs to do is enforce the rule that if a Caymanian and a ex-pat are both qualified for the same job, by law the Caymanian should get the job......
It's more than just being
It's more than just being paper "qualified", there has to be a demonstrable attitude that meshes with the business culture. You've got to show up (sober), and when you do, you've gotta have a good attitude, ie. be smiling. Nothing worse than a scowling employee arriving to work early and sitting in the parking lot for 40 mins getting all pumped up on Rooster chatter, then storming into the office with negative and combative energy. Or the mysterious "sick day" claims on Mondays and Fridays. Or the 2 hour lunches and nail appointments. Many businesses gladly dismiss employees like that, both Expat and Caymanian alike.
i have a remedy for
i have a remedy for unemployment: i eat from the land... just have to run fast when they chase ya arse off the land!
If the locals cannot find
If the locals cannot find jobs, then, firsly I blame their educators and then I blame their politicians.....both local.
oh - dont blame the foreign
oh - dont blame the foreign teachers (the majority ofthem are non locals) or the education system?
yes, there are many who are obviously prejudiced/preferential - never mind that the local system has traditionally focussed on the top 5-percent 'best and brightest ' to the detriment of the other suckers.
and efore you throw the old reverse psychology quips - I know the responsibility for education is equally shared by the family, individual and the schools
I was born and raised here
I was born and raised here and had no problems receiving a proper education. I did take advantage of private scholarships to receive a higher degree abroad but I wouldn't say that's different from a lot of countries or small cities.... you have to grab what opportunities are available and this country has a ridiculous amount compared to others.
to your second point: i graduated from highschool over 10 years ago and mckeeva spoke at that graduation (and no, it wasn't any less painful). it's fair to say that (a) there are quite a number of us that know an idiot when we see one, no matter the age and aren't influenced by them and (b) politicians had very little influence on much in the greater scheme of things until recent years so, even though your point may be applicable to the little ones now, it doesn't apply to those out of work now as they should've already received their education.
that being said...and i'm sure it's been said several times below...the main issue is entitlement and laziness. not to say that that's not the problem anywhere else - i have several friends in the US with a masters in business in their 30's who've moved back in with their parents because they "can't find a job" when really they want a job that represents what they've worked for. still if they wanted work, they could find it. here, people seem to think they'll be offered opportunities regardless of the "work" they've put in to deserve that position. very different situations and yet both would only work "lesser" jobs if they struggled to put food on the table. and thankfully that is not the case 99% of the time.
i have no pity for the people of my generation in this regard. i like to say that i have worked very hard to get to where i am today, but it was not a hard path to follow.
Where are you from and do you
Where are you from and do you award the blame for the current levels of unemployment there along the same guidelines?
By the way - your comment demonstrates a chronic lack of knowldge and understanding of the bigger picture.
gotta agree with whodat on
gotta agree with whodat on this one. It's a much bigger picture.
I am not the original poster
I am not the original poster but damn right I award the blame for the current levels of unemployment on a bad education system and even worse politicians. Both are failing Caymanians in a big way, most of us can see that, even if you don't. I am actually surprised that you don't see this, despite the 'bigger picture' this is what the problem bores down to, along with poor parenting.
" your comment demonstrates
" your comment demonstrates a chronic lack of knowldge and understanding of the bigger picture".
I often say the same about your comments, Whodatis!
Good for you, however, many
Good for you, however, many people say many things about my comments, poster.
Maybe everyone needs to stop
Maybe everyone needs to stop playing the blame game.. I've seen people "march" for Jobs, or write up big articles in the newspaper. Is that helping? NOPE.. is complaining helping? NOPE.. Instead of wasting your time standing infront the governer house marching or just wasting your time complaining you should start learning a trade. Once you learn that NOBODY can take that away from you. Airconditiong for example, I have seen more expats doing this trade than caymanians. For Caymanians schooling for these trades is way easier so why arent we taking the opportunity?.. Cashing at fosters? We all seem to "good" for that. 6$ an hour is better than NOTHING! In each news paper advertisement there is a line that says "Caymanian preferably" so why aren't we applying? COME ON! Dont play the blame game with ex-pats.. without them we would have nobody pumping gas, cashing at supermarket, fixing A/c, cutting grass, cleaning pool, managing business because of course the caymanians, WE won't do it or we think we are too qualified. COming out of school with 5 C grade subjects and receiving a SCHOLARSHIP? Ask an expat if they got that in their country! Caymanians are spoonfed throughout school and expect it to be continued throughout their lives!
Bravo. The simple truth.
Bravo. The simple truth.
If this has anything to do
If this has anything to do with the traffic being almost non-existant with the schools being out...I'm not mad.
I also have another BIG
I also have another BIG question that has to be related.
How in the heck can the economy be so poor, yet the locals keep building? I guarantee these HUNDREDS of new and empty 2 bedroom condos that keep popping up like mushrooms have Caymanian owners and partners. WHAT DO THESE PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE DO NOT?
Either they drank the Big Mac kool-aid and believe that 50,000 more people are comning (huh?) or these landlords/slumlords are going to go broke with empty apartments.
WHY are they still so many new construction empty apartments? Surely the market is tilted.
I worked in the service
I worked in the service industry here as an expat for 7 years. It taught me amazing work ethic, great communication skills and flexibility, made some friends for life not to mention, made a great salary competitive with some of the 'white collared' jobs here in Cayman.
In my 7 years, I worked with a variety of different nationalities with only one being Caymanian and never saw any locals apply for a position in the restaurant I worked in.
I believe that it is a strong mindset here that is being taught to the younger generation that the service industry is degrading and not a good enough job. This mindset is what is keeping the young work force from gaining some amazing potential and experience that could lead to a much greater position in the future.
Local unimployment will
Local unimployment will continue to rise when favourtism takes place. There is a woman who is a millionaire that recieved Status during the Status give-aways in 2003, that is employed in the Ministry of the Premier. I mean to say, this woman is a millionaire that does not need to work while there are so many Caymanians who need work and could well do with that job. Life is so unfair to us Caymanians! I would love someone to do an FOI but because of where I work (this is how I know of this situation) I am afraid to do an FOI myself!
Boo-hoo, life is soooo
Boo-hoo, life is soooo unfair!
"Life is so unfair to us
"Life is so unfair to us Caymanians"!
Who ever said life was fair? It's not and it doesn't matter where you come from. Stop complaining, get off your butt and DO something about!
"Do something"? Look Star, I
"Do something"? Look Star, I got a job but what about those that want to work but are blocked by those that dont need but are given because they are "in the loop". Where I work, I see the unfairness, thats why I say what I say, you brain!
You are correct! That mindset
You are correct! That mindset is now largely accepted as 'fact', and trumpeted by those who can benefit from the claim, to the detriment of those who are would actually welcoem a hospitality job.
I adn many Caymanians worked (full- or part-time) in hotels/restaurants etc in past years - but I doubt i would even be considered for a post today.
I really do wish that all
I really do wish that all expats would be asked to leave and no others allowed in. Who would work at the hotels on Sundays? Perhaps Cayman should become a Christian vacation get-a-way.
Ridiculous point. Who do you
Ridiculous point.
Who do you think owoked in the hotels and restaurants before the expats flooded in?
Not that I blame the expats - it's the overall employment system/attitude that needs to be examined.
I too wish all expats would
I too wish all expats would leave. What a story of the Cayman Islands would be written then. "The Islands That Time Forgot - Again"!
and your point is?
and your point is?
Without expat workers, the
Without expat workers, the Cayman Islands would sink into third world oblivion.
ok. with that attitude u can
ok.
with that attitude u can go home now then.
need a lift?
I am addressing the writer
I am addressing the writer of 'WHEN WILL THE BLAME BE STOPPED?"
Try make up your mind! My take on this is that "The ones that stay think that if they leave, Cayman will sink and all us Caymanians will drown or drop dead! Us hardback smart Caymanians brought this island forward - we needed no college degree to do so - we have the degrees of life, living and surviving without expats! what did they bring us? progress? progression to what? crime, social problems, diseases, unemployment? we had no unemployment before the expat era, we all had jobs on island and overseas! Our progress should have been paced with the growth of our work force and we would still be maintaining control of our islands, our home! We survived before you came and we will survive after you leave, the same door you came through, we have left open for you to leave through. I have nothing against integration and equality and welcoming expats but those who come here and think us Caymanians are dumb and exhibit a 'holier than though' attitude and that we can't exist without them, and that we are stupid, think again, we are not! the only part of you I want to see is the sole of your foot when the door closes behind you! Because of some expats we have lost our heritage, identity and culture, and generations of young Caymanians to ethics inflicted upon them by the same expats who profess to be our friends but turn out to be our worse enemy! Bon voyage to those expats who do not respects us and who beat us into the ground and t.ake the bread out of our children's mouths!
The bread going into your
The bread going into your many childrens mouths is payed for by the expats you want to get rid of. Do you still think the money comes from bush's A$$?
And it is this shameful
And it is this shameful ignorance that makes me sad to be Caymanian. You sound like you could sure use a college degree.
"we had no unemployment
"we had no unemployment before the expat era,"
is that why nearly all the men had to leave the island and work on boats to supply money for their families
Read your own history, and try not to make it all up. In fact there was a great article in the Observer on Sunday where they interviewed a old Caymanian, he confirms all of this.
Well, you are Caymanian, so
Well, you are Caymanian, so send all the expats home and don't let anymore in - call the bluff. However, will the rich Caymanians want to give up their expat nannies, helpers, gardners etc to allow their fellow Caymanians to have work? And will those Caymanians want to work for other Caymanians as nannies etc? Also, take over the law firms and accounting firms. If you think so, then take back your country.
Thank you Anon, well said I
Thank you Anon, well said I agree 1000% with you......
I just don't understand how
I just don't understand how our people can have so much misguided xenophobic rage and drunkenness at 08:45 and still think they are employable somewhere. It's so embarressing!
Let me agree with a few
Let me agree with a few things and state a few others:
1.) There is a reality that our youth do not work in tourism or entry level jobs. This gives credence to the perception that Caymanians are not willing to start at the bottom and work their way up. This may be a perception problem and discriminates against a few...but the majority of young Caymanians do not start in the service industries.
We do need to instill a work ethic with our teenagers. Most ex-pats that arrived here had to work side jobs through university (The nature of expats is "outgoing enough" to leave their own country and take a risk overseas- this same group has experience with working their way up in a company) and this fuels their resentment of young Caymanians with an entitlement attitude. Right or wrong....it is there. Employers are keen to hire young people that flipped burgers, waited on tables, and swept a floor.
2.) Yes, also strongly agree that the whilte collar jobs are passed over for Caymanians, the rollover failed, and Immigration / Govt. does a bad job of helping qualified locals secure jobs.
have Status and Caymanian family. My resume is perfect and is filled with awards and community service.
I have an overseas top-notch degree and perfect work experience from both here and overseas, but have been passed over for ex-pats and given only a courtesy interview! The rollover has created a mentality of, "Well, he/she is already here on a permit I need to keep them" and "It is too difficult to fire Caymanians, I can always replace an ex-pat." (**oooh, I let the scary truth out? Ex-Pats dont LIKE to hire Caymanians- they feel they are life-jobs.)
Our most sought after companies are the worst offenders. I cannot tell you how it pains me to see north americans and europeans getting the Mid-management, IT jobs, Sales Management, Marketing, and Financial roles. The recruiters are a joke and our own senior HR staff should be ashamed if they feed this ironic mess. (But HR is a protected local role to show a false hope).
It remains that yes, we do not help ourselves, but as long as our economy is dependant on work permit revenue and cronyism thrives, we will not succeed.
The top twenty employers in Cayman are the worst offenders. I'd ask the AG to see how many complaint letters Immigration receives about each of their favourtism hires.
Too many times have I heard a qualified Caymanian has been passed by by the Top 20.
This is where the Immigration Boards fail. If there IS an Caymanian, married to Caymanian, or Status holder eligble for the job, they SHOULD get it. (but that is not the norm.)
I agree except Caymanian
I agree except Caymanian employers prefer not to employ Caymanians, perhaps more so than expats!
Can we please stop the same
Can we please stop the same stereotypical arguements about our hosts reasons for unemployment.
Have you seen the job classifieds in the papers, there are jobs like cash washer or pot washer available, yet with them is a prerequiste of 5 years similar experience? for low skilled work?
Come on, why are there such hurdles for the local population to even the low paying jobs.
It's all very well harping on about entitlement, but the fact is how can we expect locals to start at the bottom when there are barriers to entry for even those positions.
The facts are 10% unemployment among Caymanians and 30,000 work permits. There is a mismatch that nedds to be addressed
Is 'cash washing' a banking
Is 'cash washing' a banking job?
could you show us this
could you show us this advertisement for a pot-washer that requires 5 years experience? No, thought not
Look in friday's compass, it
Look in friday's compass, it is there in black and white (literally) on Page C6 at the bottom
So how would you expect me to show it to you, apart from telling you where it is, do you want me to project it on to the Butterfield building ?LOL
SO sorry mate, your negativity is unwarranted
Sorry to say that the post
Sorry to say that the post for a Dishwasher isn't wrong the poster may have exaggerated the number here but it is true most ads for low paying jobs come with unrealistic experience needed, just to quickly eliminate applicants so they can retain the permit holder they already have and that are being paid little or nothing to do such a grueling tiresome job....
1700 people is not so many.
1700 people is not so many. It's a manageable number if someone would actually focus on getting jobs for those specific people instead of all these arguments about who is good and bad.
But this is only those
But this is only those registered as unemployed. There are plenty out there who are unregistered and looking for work, as well as those who admittedly, can't be bothered to work at all!
Governments themselves aren't
Governments themselves aren't supposed to create jobs. All they can hope to do is correctly modulate factors that effect the business climate - indirectly stimulating or dampening job creation via the private sector. The world would be a better place if more politicians stopped believing "job creation" was part of their mandate and simply got out of the way.
09:13 If government get out
09:13 If government get out of the way, we would go back to slavery.
You do not like no one watching you so you can discriminate against people like you have been doing all your life, if you could pay us .50 cents an hour you would do it.
We know what you are history is full of people like you, Caymanians and expats alike please watch pbs.org/sban and you will see why they behave this way because of money and greed.
When you go to other
When you go to other Caribbean nations, you see local indigenous people in all these service industry jobs, you dont see expat workers. They are hotel managers,concierge in hotels, waiters & waitresses to name but a few examples.They do the job given them with total commitment and customer service & satisfaction is at the forefront of their work ethic. You used to see more Caymanians in these positions here too ( back in the 80's I recall) but not now. If you want to reduce the unemployment of locals here, the authorities in power need to answer the above question of why none of them want these jobs.
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