Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has declared steady progress in creating jobs, asserting that his administration was doing all it could to provide decent employment and lift citizens from poverty.
Pierre spoke recently at the Caribbean Public Health Agency’s (CARPHA) 68th annual health research conference.
He disclosed that the number of people with jobs increased from 75,016 in 2020 to 97,394 in 2023, representing 86 percent of the working population.
Pierre told the CARPHA event that Saint Lucia has seen consecutive declines in its unemployment rate every year since July 2021.
“The rate dropped from 21.9 percent in 2021 to a near record low of 14 percent in 2023, but we are still not satisfied,” the Finance Minister stated.
He noted the overwhelming response of Saint Lucian youth to his administration’s youth economy program.
A Youth Economy Agency established by an Act of Parliament in 2022 provides finance, business development, marketing support, and training and mentorship to young people.
The Saint Lucia Prime Minister disclosed that its launch a year ago, with EC$20 million in financing from the Caribbean Development Bank, the agency has funded 445 projects.
The funding went to projects in the arts, agriculture, production and marketing, sports and wellness, services, and technology.
“Our hope is that beyond creating a national ecosystem of 3500 young entrepreneurs, this initiative will create a “feel-good culture” among all young people and help them build confidence,” Pierre stated.
He also revealed that the US Government was financing similar programmes through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative in Saint Lucia.
They include the Youth Resilience, Inclusion, and Empowerment (Y-RIE) initiative.
It seeks to develop the learning output of Saint Lucian youth, prepare them for professional job opportunities, connect them with professional development initiatives, and strengthen community and family structures that impact youth development.
We need to stop using COVID years to compare economic progress, use the figures from 2019 instead.
@Oh Really! This is also my observation. How can you compare employment during the year the country was shut down with 3 years after it was normalized? WHo they think they are fooling again? Anyway, why is this information coming from the office of the PM and not the Office of Statistics?
Pip the last election you said don’t let projects fool us hypocrite that is why you stay focused
Only his base will believe him…
How can the UWP supporters hate the youth of St. Lucia so much? Anything done to help the youth , the UWP will bash it. A shame for the UWPs.