The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) was indeed pleased to learn that the Bureau of Statistics managed to conclude successfully the Guyana Labour Force Survey as at September, 2017. We indeed look forward to the quarterly publication of the survey which we believe will provide several useful statistics which on the functioning of our labour market and more importantly the circumstances of our working-people. Having been able to review the inaugural report, the Federation is convinced that the regular publication of such statistics is important on many fronts but certainly is critical for our policymakers to come up with appropriate policies to address the day-to-day challenges our people face.
Interestingly, the survey points out very early on that less than half of the working-age population is actually employed and it, therefore, begs the question what are the other half doing to get by. Moreover, we have noted a decrease in the male employment rate between the 2012 census and the end of September, 2017 and an increase in the female employment rate in the same period. It seems to indicate that men who have lost their jobs are finding it difficult to secure new jobs and their wives are forced to enter the job market. This is particularly worrying noting that females earn 36 per cent less than their male counterparts, in salaried jobs. In those instances where a woman has become their family’s breadwinner, their family, depending on its size, at best, has become vulnerable to slip into poverty or, at worst, find themselves in an impoverished state.
Notably, while the Administration is encouraging our people to become entrepreneurs as a means to achieving the ‘Good Life’ objective, the survey’s findings, on the other hand, has painted a very different picture. We dismayingly learn that the self-employed, on average, earn about 23 per cent less than their counterparts who are in salaried employment. At this time, when the people are being pushed in this direction, is such a decision rational bearing in mind the realities that are prevailing?
We also recognized that the unemployment rate has remained relatively unchanged falling marginally from 12.5 per cent in 2012 Census to 12 per cent at the end of September, 2017. It would be interesting to see what the rate would be at the end of March, 2018 following the implementation of the mass redundancy in the sugar industry. The survey also revealed that women represented more than half (50.7 per cent) of the unemployed though they account for 39.9 per cent of the labour force. It means that women have both a lower chance of getting a job and a higher possibility of being unemployed. For our womenfolk, this is not encouraging especially at this time.
Youth unemployment, we note, still remains alarmingly high and stood at 21.6 per cent at the end September, 2017. For the thousands of graduates emerging from high school and university, this is not good news and belies the Government’s promise of jobs for youths. The situation of the youth is especially worrying considering that the survey advised that half the population is under 25 years and a quarter of those between 15 and 24 years are enrolled in educational institutions. It, therefore, means that a vast number of our young people are looking for work or have become fed up with job hunting and may be encouraged or forced to take another path. The report also shed some light on the availability of jobs. From the survey, we learnt that 42.5 per cent adult unemployed population and 36.9 per cent of the youth unemployed population have been without work for over a year. This seems to indicate that jobs are becoming more difficult to come by.
For us it is very vexing that notwithstanding a national 40-hour work week, workers are working beyond the stipulated time. It is especially bothersome for males who are working, on average, more than 10 hours per week above the stipulated working-week. The FITUG cannot help but wonder whether our workers are compensated for these extra hours. But the findings also serve to expose another sad reality of our times. That fact that workers are forced to work beyond their normal time seems to indicate that low rates-of-pay are being offered and the workers must work the extra hours in order to make ends meet. Certainly, when the correlation is taken with the underemployment data that the report revealed, our conclusion seems to be corroborated.
The report also pointed out that about 50 per cent of those employed work in the informal sector. The ILO has generally warned that such situations should not be encouraged as workers tend to be exploited and such precarious forms of employment tend to lend to increased impoverishment. On this score, we were very surprised, and at the same time upset, to learn that 8.8 per cent of public sector employees appear to have an informal job. If this is indeed the reality it is sad that our Government is encouraging such employment relations and should take every step to formalize the situation.
For the FITUG, the Guyana Labour Force Survey was certainly an eye-opener and brought out several important concerns which our policymakers should not lose sight of. We recognise that, though not contained in the report, during the launching activity it was disclosed that 53 per cent of our people either live in poverty or are vulnerable to impoverishment. This is not a very comforting statistic especially taking into account the developments since the conclusion of the survey. While we commend the Bureau of Statistics for a well-done job and look forward to the timely release of future reports, we call on our Government to take heed of the stark realities the data depicts and to address in a pragmatic and comprehensive manner the terrible conditions revealed.
