Caymanian Unemployment Explained
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 11:08
Cayman Islanders are an interesting lot.
Your country is completely dependent on the work permit fees and revenues generated by the consumption of guest workers. Caymanians pay a small fraction of the cost of government and reap the benefits almost exclusively , yet still manage to complain. You country has created a system of financial dependency on guest worker consumption and permit fees, so don't expect your bankrupt government to change until the locals start paying their fair share
Outside of Employer "worker control" all the labour advantages go to Caymanian workers. The cost, red tape and frustration employers endure to import workers makes you wonder why any business would wish to go to the trouble in the first place
The answer to that is fairly obvious. Caymanians by-and -large do not perform to the standards set by guest workers who are recruited from a massive labour pool. Your labour pool is far too small to adequately compete globally and lets face it, most ex-pats usually receive far better education and training. Where i worked we had no Caymanian employees in my dep't, their simply weren't ANY that could do the job. This isn't meant as a slight to Caymanians, a labour pool of around 12,000 isnt going to produce hoards of mid-level managers and CEO's. I cant imagine trying to recruit 1000's of skilled , white collar executives and professionals from a small town in Virginia, either.
The biggest problem caymanians have is a distorted sense of reality; you expect to all have secure, high paying jobs, yet the government desperately needs the revenues generated from the ex-pat employee YOU have to compete with. Perhaps its time that caymanian workers started paying their fair share of the cost of government things could change somewhat.
This country was a poor caribbean backwater a mere 60 years ago, also. The sense of entitlement this present generation has would likely make your ascendents roll in their beach-front graves. The standard of living for Caymanians on average is tops in the Caribbean, perhaps a visit to cuba, haiti or trinidad is in order for those Caymanians who feel particularly sorry for themselves.
Having lived in the Cayman islands so many years, i never met a hard working , highly qualified caymanian that had trouble staying employed. I did however, meet many locals who had completely unrealistic sense of entitlement who usually possesed the requisite poor work ethic. I suggest the majorityy of unemployed in the cayman islands are the unemployable and those at the bottom rung of the employee quality index. Who is going to want to hire lazy workers, especially if there are alternatives available?
At the end of the day, as long as the Cayman Iislands want to compete globally in finance, tourism, accounting and law, they'l have to be able to recruit world class employees. A minute labour force outside of government just won't cut it, and until the average caymanian realizes this, the better off you'll be in the long run
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Young Caymanian speaks up
I honeslty think if people who come to cayman to work dont like it here, enjoy being here or like to critisize , should just leave. (leave our money alone too) As said before if your country is so much better or other countries are so much better than cayman, why are u here? Find somethin better to do than sit down and talk badly about caymanians. (then u wonder y they have the roll over policy and why caymanians want some of u guys gone) We dont need sterotypical comments being thrown at us, we arent all the same or have the same attitudes and work ethic. Some of us actually aspire to be something and want to work hard and secure a bright future. That being said not all expacts critisize and some actually want to be here and appreciate our culture, and ive gained some amazing freinds from many places.
Nevertheless, despite your comments which only ridicule and put down caymanians or our island, you guys will NEVER let me think my self to be any less than u. You will NEVER let me hold my head down in dissapointment of my acheivements and you will NEVER stop me from having dreams and hopes of a bright future. I am a young caymanian currently in university in the uk, I am niether lazy, nor am I lacking ambition.I may no where I am going but I will never forget where I have come from and where/who made me who I am today.
*bottom line is stop being stereotypical and stop critisizing - if that is to much to ask plz leave. I sure there are many more where u came from, who are willing to help, appreciate and be apart of our growing society.
I am a Caymanian with DNA to
I am a Caymanian with DNA to Terra Firma and to the author of Caymanian Unemployment Explained, let me remind you the same was said about the Bahamas until a leader with vision for his people "Sir Lynden Pindling" decided to lead his people away from the identical label that people like you had placed on them. I suggest you read "The Vision of Sir Lynden Pindling" by Patricia Beardsley Roker. I would also suggest that you visit the Bahamas and let us know your findings on how dependent this country is on the work permit fees and revenues generated by the consumption of guest workers.
The same and worst was said about Cuba prior to 1950, read the "Cuban American War" given the financial woes of the embargo on Cuba, beg the USA to lift it and when that is done you and the world will see how many world class expat employees Cuba will need to compete globally. I encourage you to take the same rhetoric to Bermuda and Barbados.
Young Caymanians suffer from lack of leadership and it will continue until they are aware of what it takes to be "Caymanian". Until our young people realize that it takes Loyalty to the Cayman Islands over and above all others and concern of each Caymanian over all others. Our people will continue to lose their way until they are able to break free of the mental slavery of reverse ethnocentrism.
Those who wish to be Caymanian also have a responsibility. The have a responsibility to try to be like us; to try to share our hopes and aspirations; to help us build and achieve. They do not have a responsibility to try and remake us into someone else's image; they have no responsibility to retard our progress or to destroy everything Caymanian. This was a quote from Sir Lynden Pindling in 1972 but I substituted the word "Bahamas" for Cayman. How very ironic, yet relevant to our present circumstances.
That would be the same Lynden
That would be the same Lynden Pindling who pocketed many millions while in office at the same time as his country turned into a haven for drug smuggling which ultimately led to the breakdown of society so evident when the sun goes down in not-so-funky Nassau.
Oh please don't go there,
Oh please don't go there, show me the political leader anywhere in the world who has not pocketed many millions while in office and as for turning his country in a haven for drug smuggling you need a history lesson. Do you think it was Sir Lynden Pindling that flooded the USA cities with Crack in the 1980s and Herion in the 1960s and 70s. Khan Dhu, do yourself a favour read and learn some history or you will be forever in the dark on global policies and will continue to speak of things you know nothing of.
I was taught at any early age
I was taught at any early age to ignore anyone who ended sentences with prepositions. It seemed a bit harsh back then, but time has shown it to be good advice.
Um, he facilitated the mass
Um, he facilitated the mass import of hard drugs into the US by allowing the Bahamas to be used as a transshipment point by the Medellin cartel. What part of this do you dispute?
Independence reality 101
Perhaps Mr "DNA to Terra Firma" would care to take Cayman down the same road as the Bahamas as an independent nation. Bear in mind, Cayman became the financial center that it is as a result of the Bahamas going independent.
The Bahamas economy took decades to recover after independence was established. I believe that a close association with the U.K has served the Cayman islands very well. Jamaica went independent a little earlier than the Bahamas and in any meaningful comparison Jamaica is poor compared to the Cayman islands.
I believe that a close association with the U.K has served the Cayman islands very well
The Bahamas is by no means poor, but Caymanians have luxuries that most bahamians only dream of. Yes , the mundane jobs Caymanians import expats to do are largely employed by Bahamians by necessity. The Cayman islands is per-capita wealthier and higher income than the Bahamas.. The Bahamas has hundreds of islands, not three and is a mere stones throw from Florida, yet still trails Cayman in every meaningful per-capita economic category. Do you really think Cayman can do better severing its lifeline to the U.K? Cayman's association with the U.K brings investment dollars that would take a long hiatus should you choose to go through the turmoil of independence.
The respondent here obviously has no comprehension of global risk and the flight of capital that would ensue upon a declaration of independence.
T. Kidd, no Caymanian would
T. Kidd, no Caymanian would want to take the Cayman Islands DOWN to any level, since our seafears took it from down to the very top. No one here is advocating independence from the UK. Maybe you need to read the post again or you should atleast take the time to understand what you read.
Cayman is being destroyed on a daily basis and it not due to independence or Caymanians. Any one with a grain of common sense can see what is taking these islands down (greed, politics and inteference by outsiders).
Sure Cayman has a high standard of living but do you really believe the average Caymanian has more than a Bahamian in a similar postion I don't think so. I know of very few Bahamians, working here. It is somewhat of an indication that Bahamians are very contented to stay and work in their country of origin, I just wish that the same percentage of Bahamians that work and live here was across the board for all other nationalities.
Cayman need to realise that no job is beneath them. Our older generations did all these jobs before and they were no less then we are now. As a matter of fact they were a lot better off economically and socially than we are now.
Oh can we become like the
Oh can we become like the Bahamas? Can we? Oh let's do what they did. They did destroy the world's leading offshore centre. There is no crime in Nassau and it is drug free. . . .
Oh we are not trying to
Oh we are not trying to become like the Bahamas as they are independent and we are very much British like Bermuda, our aim to be like Bermuda when and if we every decide to grow up and don't have people like you trying to run our country for your own benefit. Please read about Bermuda in this article this is where the Cayman Islands was heading 35 years ago but got side track when we became greedy and allowed outsides with political agendas to blow us off track but hopefully our young and educated people will correct this course as they are reading and reading this article and want to become just like Bermuda.
http://www.bermuda-online.org/costoflivingguide.htm
but they don't need you
but they don't need you
The Bahamas is still very
The Bahamas is still very much an offshore financial centre, albit its share of crime and drugs (like Cayman) it's still a very beautiful place with a vibrant and culturally aware people. A country that offers an excellent tourism product for being an independent country oh and not to mention a very educated local population. Not bad at all, I must say, with offshore financial centers soon to be a thing of the past the Bahamas was smart to opt for a good tourism product maybe in the not so distant future this will be all that Cayman will be forced to look forward to and our leaders might do us all a world of good by putting more emphasis on that pillar of the economy that has held fast for us through the annals of time.
Yes but the Bahamas is
Yes but the Bahamas is beautiful and has lots of beaches and islands. We have flat ugly scrub, one overdeveloped and overhyped beach and not much else. . . . Yes the Bahamas model will work for us if gun running and drug smuggling is your idea of Cayman's economy of the future.
A foreigner
You're not a foreigner you're a xenophobe!
Reality can be depressing...
The sad reality is that a lot of what this writer relates is painfully true. And more...
I have to agree: "Hard working Caymanians" (using international standards of comparison) will most likely get hired and stay employed.
However, some of the structurally unemployable here have made it incredibly hard for younger Caymanians to get employed (no thanks to their lousy work ethic). And with downsizing, layoffs, etc. making it even tougher for ANYONE to get a job, the unwillingness of employers to take a chance in hiring young employees isn't helping matters.
Couple that with a profound shift in attitudes towards work by Gen Y and a "generation gap" that's already there... Sorry to say that you'll see older expats getting hired over younger Caymanians not so much due to nationality as much as similar age-related ways of thinking...
Similar hiring patterns exist in other parts of the world, by the way, so this is not just a "Made in Cayman" issue.
Finally, many writers may comment about perceived injustices towards people they know and/or are related to... The even-more-depressing reality is that the people you think you know may act completely different at their place of work versus in a social situation - even to the point of being unrecognizable from a personality point of view after an extended period on the job...
Point in fact: I just wish I had known about the negative perceptions previous employers had about someone I helped hire - who aced the interview, seemed to work out great, and then Dr. Jeckyl started appearing...
There's more, but you get my drift... And I really wish that matters were different.
PUT YOUNG CAYMANIANS BACK TO WORK
In December 2009 when the Government had the "Island Wide Clean-Up Project" hundreds of Caymanians worked very hard out in the HOT SUN cleaning up their island. These workers ranged from college graduates to those without a high school certificate. Caymanians are willing to work !! However, they do not believe in kissing the bosses ass to keep their jobs. I am a foreigner who have friends working in Cayman, and they tell me how UNFAIRLY THE CAYMANIANS ARE TREATED IN THE WORK PLACE.
Many Caymanians are treated as 'slaves', down-graded, and given the less perks.
It is known that in a company with majority of foreign bosses... that company 'pushed around' Caymanians so much that the Caymanians leave. After the Caymanians were treated so badly and forced to leave then that foreign boss hired his foreign friends. He then made the Immigration Department think that Caymanians were not willing to work. When the truth be told. It was the foreign boss who pushed the Caymanians out.
I know, if Caymanians are willing to work out in that steaming / boiling hot sun to beautify their islands, once treated fairly, they are willing to work in the shade too!!
GIVE THE ISLANDERS A FAIR CHANCE. THEY WORKED HARD TO MAKE IT A BEAUTIFUL AND PRODUCTIVE PLACE. The islands did not become rich in the past five years. If your country is so good and the people so educated, why did you leave it? If you are so educated, then you should return to your own country to help your country and it's people.
It seems that the thousands of $$$$$ the Immigration Department baggs about making from "work permits" is a waste, because the island is broke, because those foreigners send 'home' the majority of their salaries to buy homes in their own countries. Majority of those foreigners are only in the Caymans to 'rake-up' as much money as they can. Most foreigners do not care about Cayman or the Caymanians. The only care about them selves !!!
If those jobs were given to Caymanians, then Caymanians would put their salaries back into the islands' economy, because Caymanians would build and buy homes etc. etc. When countries employ their own people, that money stays in the country, that country stays affluent. The way the Cayman Islands were before they started to hire so many foreigners !!
signed: A foreigner
Thank you, very well put.
Thank you, very well put.
You're not a foreigner
Of course you're not a foreigner!
you are not a foreigner.....
you are not a foreigner..... what a load of anti-expat propaganda.... could have come straight from the mouth of ezzard miller
"THEY WORKED HARD TO MAKE IT
"THEY WORKED HARD TO MAKE IT A BEAUTIFUL AND PRODUCTIVE PLACE."
And failed on both.
This island IS beautiful...
This island IS beautiful... anyone who says otherwise is probably bitter about some other aspect of life here.
Flat. Overdeveloped with
Flat. Overdeveloped with poorly designed builidngs. No public open spaces. A capital that specialises in shops selling junk to cruise shippers. One small thin slopping beach. I have been to many islands around the world. Cayman is definitely towards the ugly end of the spectrum.
"Poorly designed buidings"
"Poorly designed buidings" ??
I have travelled to many places around the world, and I have to say that Cayman has some of the better built and designed building.
Of course they are,
Of course they are, especially if you are looking for "ugly chic".
Then you should go home to
Then you should go home to your own country!! If you feel so dow right disgusted with Cayman "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE"??
Beautiful Island
If you think Grand Cayman is not beautiful, you clearly have not travelled to many places. I, having been to many islands, say this has got to be the most beautiful, clean and least poverty stricken island. If you go and visit the "tourist" beach (7-mile beach) then you are not experiencing the island. As far as no open spaces, did you ever travel to the East Side or North End. Amazing! If you don't have something nice to say, then why say it!
"If you don't have something
"If you don't have something nice to say, then why say it!" Because it is the truth and denial is not a river in Egypt.
I have been to about 70 countries in my life and lived in 10 of them. There are many many places more beautiful than Cayman especially from a tourist perspective. There really is nothing special at all about the scenery here. It is great for diving, vastly overrated for everything else.
First off, stop passing
First off, stop passing yourself off as zzzzz - that's me!
Next, I agree that there are a lot more beautiful places on Earth:
Cayman has nice beaches, but lots of places have great beaches, bigger and as good or better than Cayman's.
Cayman is superb for diving, so we'll give full credit there.
Cayman is flat and has no towering mountains covered in lush greenery [insert Mount Trashmore joke here], unlike many other islands.
Cayman's "greenery" isn't that great, or that green, really.
Cayman's main attraction was the welcoming people, however I expect that is unfortunately on the wane now.
The levels of personal service available in Cayman is actually quite low. I've been to many places where the level of service for a tourist is extremely high, even for average people who don't get to stay at the Ritz.
The amount of cool stuff to do is rather low in Cayman...
Now, all that said, Cayman is still a great place, but don't get cocky!!! There is much room for improvement on the things that are within control (i.e. qualify of service and stuff)
Dearest cousin zzzzz, I am
Dearest cousin zzzzz, I am not passing myself as you. I am Zzzzz and you are zzzzz. The difference is clear, especially if you speak fluent bee. I am a glad we are largely in agreement on this topic. We can turn out attentions to watching out for the bizarre meanderings of zzzz and zZzZz. May peazzzzze be with you.
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