The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I note with despair that the method used by our current Parliamentarians to confirm job statistics and employment levels is not scientific and certainly, there are no regional or global models under which this information is used to predict employment. Statistics models follow trends and normally several years of comparative data is used – not one-off data.

It seems to be an unreliable use of information from the NIB data base, not based on any trends, the timing of the NIB contributions; whether only current contributions are utilised or arrears. If the politicians want to be taken seriously, the entire data base and reports that are being used to make these unscientific predictions and comments need to be shared along with the historical comparisons in order that a normal thinking person can provide more insight into whether any of the information quoted is useful. Until then, the only measure of employment that can be considered to have any reliability is the information provided by the Department of Statistics.

Apart from these comments, the common sense approach needs to also be considered. If so many jobs are being created, what is the level of job loss, what do the NIB’s Unemployment Statistics show in terms of the number of claims; are persons staying on the Unemployment Benefit for the full 13 week period, or are they finding employment and surrendering the Unemployment Benefit? Which employers in the private sector, the real measure of job creation (not the government) are adding more employees to their workforce?

There are so many unanswered questions and reasons that evidence why these comments cannot be taken seriously by a normal thinking person.

A CONCERNED BAHAMIAN

Nassau,

July 29, 2014.