A recruitment executive is lauding the recent spate of minimum wage hikes trending throughout the Caribbean, noting that it’s a welcome change for residents but also a potential sign of economic turnaround after two gruelling years.
“I’m sure the impacted residents all feel that this has been a long time coming,” says Joseph Boll, CEO of Caribbean Employment Services Inc., a market-leading digital talent acquisition service.
“Most regional governments who have made such a move have also said it’s to
counteract the rising cost of living, which certainly can’t be understated.
“But for a region whose economies were mostly disrupted by the pandemic, and its impact
on tourism, the fact that governments are able to still commit to wage increases is a very
promising sign.”
Many CARICOM member states, along with other Caribbean nations, either increased
minimum wages for the public or private sector, revealed that they are in discussions to do
so, or moved to implement minimum wages for the first time, just within the past year.
Among the most recent is The Bahamas, which moved to up its minimum wage for the first
time since 2015. That nation’s minimum wage is now $260 per week, with their dollar being just about on par with USD.
Not long before, Bermuda moved to set its minimum wage for between $16 and $16.40, making it among the world’s highest-paid as Bermuda’s dollar is also on par with USD.
Boll continues, “As an organization that aims to help companies attract the top talent, and at the same time help jobseekers find their ideal role, better wages will always be welcome
news to Caribbean Employment Services Inc. It’s even better to know that the region’s
economy is making a strong comeback, and it’s fair to expect that higher wages will
stimulate the economy as people are able to buy more and give the economy a boost.
“We hope this trend continues and we encourage jobseekers and employers alike to make
full use of the online resources available to them through sites like ours.”
SOURCE: Caribbean Employment Services Inc.
St. Lucia not in dat. This is a country by itself in its own world
The word is “bubble”!!
Am I reading properly, I almost got excited because the article mentioned Caribbean countries, yet only the Bahamas and Bermuda were mentioned. Bermuda is not Caribbean and Bahamas don’t even really consider themselves Caribbean. Lol
I was wondering. Are the student nurses in the Department of Nursing at SALCC being ignored because they are unemployed? The minimum wage we are politely requesting is respect and empathy from the administration of the department of nursing. As a student in that department it is evident that Profit is certainly the moto. The core nursing values such as empathy and altruism are not part of the administration culture. Hence we as student are holding our breath simply because we are of the view that the insensitive administration behavior is communicabe. That may be the reason why the relevant authorities have not assisted us. Nevertheless, we are in desperate need of deliverance from the unhealthy/scientific hands of the administration of the department of nursing.
PJP promised a livable wage but all these so-called honorable men seem to be doing is going back & forth with each other…
I am confused…so does that mean the chinese restaurants will now be paying more than $300. For 2 weeks…
St. Lucians should boycott the SALCC nursing program and enroll with the Spartan nursing program until the nursing department at SALCC sorts itself out. Enough is enough. Apparently, SALCC administration is to weak to deal with the issues plaguing that department so prospective students should start looking elsewhere.