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Jobs depend on compliance with COVID-19 measures

by Marlon Madden
3 min read
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Although assuring that Government was doing its best to help bring down unemployment numbers, Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughn has insisted that getting people back to work would depend on Barbadians following COVID-19 protocols to contain the spread of the virus.

His comment came amid concern about the rate of joblessness which was estimated to have reached 17.2 per cent during the first three months of the year.

That followed several periods of curfews and lockdowns since March last year – due to increasing COVID-19 cases – which impacted economic activity and forced some businesses to either send home workers or close their doors.

“We are trying to balance the management of the public health side with the opening of the economy to make sure that people’s ability to support themselves and families can be assured,”

Straughn told Barbados TODAY.

“We have been working hard not just to get our capital projects up and running but, equally, the private sector as a means to absorb, not just in terms of construction but in terms of the activity that you are going to keep people employed.”

Straughn stressed that residents adhering to the COVID-19 measures would determine, for the most part, what direction the unemployment situation takes.

“We as Barbadians have to follow the protocols [and] do what we have to do and keep the economy open so that we can get as many people employed as possible,” he said.

Straughn acknowledged that any rate of unemployment was a concern for Government, but he also pointed out that based on recent reports from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), more Barbadians were already going back to work, albeit on a part-time basis.

“The number of persons who are effectively working part-time – two or three days a week – there has been an increase in that. People have had reductions in work hours and that type of thing. So, people are working but not working full-time because of the absence of activities,” he explained.

“The concern is yes, there are people who are unemployed, but equally, there are persons who are working but not at the same level they were before, which has compounded everything because if your spending power is reduced then across the board it means you are going to get that ripple effect.”

Last year around this time, unemployment had skyrocketed to about 40 per cent as the country entered lockdown mode and tourism, the largest foreign exchange earner, was at a standstill.

That fell to around 18.5 per cent by the end of December 2020.

More than 37 000 Barbadians, mostly from the tourism sector, submitted unemployment claims to the NIS during the height of the lockdown last year, receiving more than $155 million in unemployment benefits.

Straughn was unable to state the current rate of joblessness; however, the Barbados Statistical Service is expected to release the April to June numbers within another month or so.

He told Barbados TODAY, however, that he did not anticipate a spike in unemployment like what occurred last year when the island went on lockdown.

“Of course, that all depends on how we as Barbadians follow the protocols, but certainly nothing like the scale of last year is expected,”
Straughn said.

The tourism sector is estimated to employ some 40 000 people directly and indirectly.

Since the reopening of borders worldwide and slow return to travel which has seen the island welcoming more visitors, several local accommodations, attractions, and other tourism-related activities have resumed. (MM)

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