Barrow’s Unemployment Crisis

Like most of the statistics being reported by this UDP government, the number of Belizeans who are out of work are grossly understated. According to official reports coming out of the Statistical Institute of Belize, the unemployment rate is hovering around 14 percent. Walk around the country and talk to people and you will find that the employment situation in our country is a very grim.

Belize today is mired by one of the worst economic crisis since the last UDP administration was running the government. In fact, the economic crisis today is deeper and more serious than the one that shook the country to its core from 1995 to 1998. Unofficial reports are that there are nearly 25 to 30 thousand Belizeans who are able to work but do not have a job. This would place our unemployment rate at or around 30 percent for nearly a year now. If you talk to those people who are currently unemployed, many will tell you that they have not been working for more than six months even though they are actively seeking employment.

Currently, too many people are looking for work and the number of jobs available are just too few.  This is a very serious situation, especially for those young people who just graduated and are looking for a job. Imagine all our lives we have been told that getting an education would help to improve our standard of living. The reality in Belize today is that we have people who are graduating from universities and having to take on positions that are way below their skill level. For people just starting their careers, the damage may be deep and long-lasting, potentially creating a kind of “lost generation.” Studies suggest that an extended period of youthful joblessness can significantly depress lifetime income as people get stuck in jobs that are beneath their capabilities, or come to be seen by employers as damaged goods. The continuing job crisis is hitting women and our young people especially hard—damaging both their future and the Belizean economy.

Businesses of all sizes are not hiring because they do not see sufficient demand for their goods and services. This issue has been raised before, and many today are asking: how can the government expect growth and expansion in our economy by raising taxes? What the private sector needs is some relief from the taxes and the cost of doing business in Belize. If the Prime Minister has not figured it out yet, he never will. Government is supposed to create an environment whereby the private sector can use its creativity and money to create wealth and jobs. The private sector is the driving force behind the growth and development of any country. For some reason however, it does not work like this in Belize.

To date, the performance of this UDP government has been dismal to say the least. If the present trends continue as is expected, the unemployment and economic woes that we are experiencing will be with us for some time. What the government does not realize is that the massive employment hole left by this recession will take years to fill. If we added 5,000 jobs, preferably private-sector jobs, for the next two years, the rest of the term for this government—in 2013 there would still be approximately 20,000 able and willing Belizeans out of a job. This means that two years from now, Belize’s unemployment rate will be hovering around 20 percent. This is way too high for a country like Belize that has the potential for better.

The time is now for this government to act in the best interest of the Belizean people. If the stopgaps are not put in place, the dangers ahead will be great. You have been forewarned.

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