‘Up to 40 percent still not working’

Director of Labour John Pinder said yesterday 40 percent of Bahamians and residents are still not working amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There are two different statistics that we have to look at,” Pinder told The Nassau Guardian.

“The Department of Labour is not the official government agency that deals with the statistics, but I am saying that 30 to 40 percent is persons who find themselves not working. Not working means that some of them are furloughed.

“That doesn’t mean they are unemployed. These are the people who depend on the tourism industry.”

Pinder said the unemployment rate is likely teetering somewhere between 26 and 28 percent.

In December 2019, the unemployment rate stood at 10.7 percent, according to the Department of Statistics.

However, as the tourism industry and eventually the country came to a standstill due to the pandemic, unemployment numbers swiftly rose with widespread layoffs.

Last week, Minister of Labour Dion Foulkes said, “Since the pandemic started, I am confident, based on the evidence that we see in the economy, that the unemployment rate has drastically come down.

“Everything was on a standstill and most businesses put their workers on temporary layoffs. That has now changed. Most of the people are now coming back to work.”

Yesterday, Pinder said that he would not use “drastically down” to describe the situation.

“There are good signs,” he said.

“There are signs that the unemployment rate is reducing.”

Pinder said The Cove at Atlantis had 75 to 80 percent occupancy over the weekend.

As a result, according to the director, the resort was able to call more employees back to work.

He described that as an indication that individuals are visiting The Bahamas.

Pinder said the country will continue to struggle until it is able to get more airlines to fly to The Bahamas and see the return of the cruise industry.

“But we’re satisfied that there are some steps being taken to make domestic business more attractive,” he said.

“For example, the prime minister has extended [Grand Bahama’s curfew] an additional hour. He’s visiting the Family Islands and getting good, positive reports to which they are able to keep the COVID rate down. 

“So, I think as long as we are able to show that we, as a country, are able to protect ourselves, I believe that domestic tourism is going to be something that we’re going to have to depend on for a short period of time.”

The Bahamas recorded its first case of COVID-19 in March 2020.

Shortly after, the country was placed under a state of emergency and various emergency orders were issued that mandated the closure of certain businesses, various countrywide lockdowns and other restrictions.

Thousands of Bahamians were forced to stay home. Many have still not returned to work.

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