The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE next Labour Force survey will be the first in three years and is scheduled for release by June 30, according to the acting managing director of the Bahamas National Statistical Institute.

Nerissa Gibson said researchers are preparing to study the employment rate of The Bahamas now that they have finished the 2022 census.

“All of last week, we had enumerators in training,” she said yesterday. “They will complete training on Tuesday of this week and we are planning to go in the field on May 1 for a period of two weeks. So we will be in the field for two weeks, May 1 to the 14, conducting the labour force survey. “

The last labour force survey was done in November 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic upended employment norms in the country and prevented researchers from entering the field.

In January, Labour Minister Keith Bell admitted he was anxious to get the latest numbers.

“I’ve tasked the Department of Labour to provide me with accurate statistics in respect to the employment numbers,” he said.

“You would have seen that we would have had a number of employment initiatives with the private sector and the government. I have asked the Department of Labour to specifically tell me the specific number of hires. Unfortunately, it isn’t as forthcoming as I would have wanted, but you will get it as soon as I get it.”

Last June, Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis claimed the country’s unemployment rate stood below 20 per cent.

It was reported in August 2019 the national unemployment rate had improved - with labour force officials revealing a decrease to 9.5 per cent. The rate has hovered above ten per cent for much of the last decade.