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Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. (iWN file photo)
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. (iWN file photo)
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The population of St. Vincent and the Grenadines grew by just 969 persons between 2001 and 2012, but almost 6,000 more are employed at the end of the period.

That is according to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves at the Unity labour Party’s (ULP) convention in Campden Park on Sunday.

Gonsalves said that the population increase between 2001 and 2012 was the lowest since 1911.

He, however, said that the number of persons who are employed increased from 35,036 to 40,821 — some 5,785 or 14.7%.

“And I will tell you this: although the population increase by only 969, the labour force increased significantly,” Gonsalves said.

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He said people are living longer and healthier and more and more persons over the age of 60, in addition to the young people who are getting jobs, are staying in their jobs or finding other jobs.

The prime minister said that data from the National Insurance Services (NIS) showed that at the end of 2000, the number of persons making NIS contributions was 30,061, compared to 41,307 at the end of 2019.

Gonsalves, however, said that the figures understate the number of people who are employed.

“Because when you look at the list, you will see that although you have about 2,000 persons working in households as domestic employees, it’s just about 600 paying NIS.”

He further said that just about 700 of the 5,000 persons working in agriculture make NIS contributions.

“In fact, the NIS estimates that they capture just about 80 per cent of the people who are actually working and they say that that has been so from time immemorial.”

He said that when the self-employed persons are added to this, in 2001, the number of persons employed was 30,373 and in 2019, the figure is 42,958.

“In other words, approximately 13,000 more,” Gonsalves said.

13 replies on “SVG’s employment rate up 14% since 2001 — Gonsalves”

  1. It really is most unfortunate that when such statements come from this man instead of directly from the organisation, few believe a word of it.

  2. You may be a Jackass but we are not Jackasses. You always ready to run your mouth in some statesman kind of way. The reality is that you have mismanaged the economy for years. How can you be proud that only 35,000 people out of 110,000 have work? Big Belly Gonsalves your experiment has failed. You have failed. The Grenadines that should be the backbone of our tourism sector is being exploited by Barbados, taking advantage of us through your stupidity. Big Belly Gonsalves on good to run his mouth. Those figures indicate that unemployment remains high. You’re quick to point out the people are living longer. That is a worldwide trend. You probably heard that on TV. At the same time, you’re admitting to malpractices and incompetence as if you are not to blame. Your government needs some serious mathematicians the work in the internal revenue services. Not only that the best parts of the Grenadines are privately owned by foreigners. How do you sleep big belly? I guess when you do yo craw full so s comes easy. You worthless piece of shit.

    1. As much as I agree with some of what u say, that shit about Barbados and the Grenadines has been dealt with since 2006, and it was not a marketing ploy of Barbados but of an Irish company who marketed properties on both Islands. Do you for one minute feel Barbados needs the Grenadines to woo tourist? Get real.

      1. Why do visitors to SVG have to be 14 hours in transit in Barbados to fly to kingstown but if you were going to Mustique from Barbados you would be there faster? SVG Government is a bunch of toothless lions.

  3. These facts are nothing but deception and everyone knows they are false.
    There is an expression:

    “Statistics are for losers”.

    And this is an instance where the expression comes true.

    Anyone, not only Trump and other politicians, can find statistics to make them look good when the opposite is true.

  4. Would you ever believe anything this man tells you? For sure, just remember this, as is often attributed to have been said by a past British Prime Minister, namely one Benjamin Disraeli, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics”.

    Therefore make what you will of that statement by a declared and known fibber! And by the way, ask him about that “FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL”!

    It is said that six things the Lord hates one of which is a lying tongue.

  5. To be honest the Comrod found jobs in the government sector for his supporters. I went to a popular government office one morning in Kingstown and was amazed my the number of workers in that building yet the service was very slow and unprofessional. There haven’t been any new private sector jobs only promises and looking around the country you could see that by and large Vincy people are suffering a lot more now than ever
    .Remittances from the Vincy diaspora have grown by over 20%.That’s evident from the long lines you see at money gram and western union.There’s a tremendous amount of people who won’t live past 60 if it weren’t for their families who support them from overseas. Ralph, people are wising up.

  6. “Show us a liar and I will show you a thief,” Gonsalves told us that, a saying by someone he knew.

    So what can we say about him as a man?

    R you may have got it just about right.

  7. At the moment the SVG Economy is being kept afloat by financial Grant Aid and Aid in kind from Grant donors from around the world however, life in the future is sure questionable. Another few years of this Ralph Gonsalves family and we really will be sucking salt. Just look at Venezuela today to see the future! We ought to take the warning from history!

    Are we that dunce in SVG so as not to take the warning from history? Indeed, just look at Cuba and Venezuela today, the Soviets and their spinoffs in the recent past to see our future. Even India under the Ghandi’s whose socialism went as far as their Bank Accounts, also told Indians that they were embarking on a socialist experiment! Well did their socialism work? Of course not!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmDBTHxYZ7Q

    In the U.K the left leaning labour government under the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson embarked on what was called a mixed economy, only to Tax and Spend and needed in the end a bailout from the I.M.F. Harold Wilson, P.M from 1964 to 1970 and 1974 to 1976. Moreover at the end of the then Labour Governments up there in the UK, that country was truly in a bad shape.

    The British in turn elected new government under one Margaret Thatcher who became their Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and who totally transformed the fortunes of the British economy by abandoning the Tax and Spend policies of all labour governments. Restoring prosperity to the British people.

    Tony Blair a later Labour government leader at first espoused and adopted Margaret Thatcher’s brand of economics, only to fall back into labour’s old bad habit of Tax and Spend, the result was again to put the UK’s economy where it was again in needed of profound life support in 2010.

    Indeed there is that most famous quote by the outgoing Labour Finance Minister to his opposition Finance Minister who took over from him after Labour had lost the General Election up there in 2010. It read, “Sorry mate money all done”! Labour had again near on bankrupted the UK economy once again, through its Tax and Spend policies. The same pseudo socialist policies that Jeromy Corbyn was once again advocating. Indeed it would appear that Labour never learns!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–5uzeI6gHc

    The trouble for us here in SVG however, is that a Labour party man and his extended family is now in office, in our small country. Listening to Tony Blair, are we too in SVG marooned on a fantasy island with the Ralph Gonsalves extended family? No wonder we are sucking Salt!

  8. Vincy in New York says:

    What is troubling is that no one person commenting nor even the NDP can counteract the 14 percent increase in employment scenario.

    This is troubling. Almost 20 years in government with ppl entering and leaving the workforce and only 5,000 jobs created.

    The NDP is really doing a disservice to the ppl.

  9. And why do your government brag that the number of persons receiving poor relief has increased? Who then get the jobs? You think everyone’s as stupid as you who like to think that you’re smart. You’re such a wicked heart PM. It beats me how easily you and others in your government spew these things when you all know they are not so. If I had the power I would twist your tongues so you will be afraid to speak lies.

  10. Teacher percy say when you tell a lie you going to hell as soon you die. ,,,,,, ,,,, old people say ,,,, our dying days will tell on us.

  11. You are perfectly correct VINCY IN NEW YORK in writing “What is troubling is that no one person commenting nor even the NDP can counteract the 14 percent increase in employment scenario”.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRXjD7RXTPk

    Give a thought also to this fact that without a FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL, good information or reliable numbers is extremely hard to come by or near impossible with this government.

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