Job creation crucial for development

Lambert Brown, Contributor

There was good news out of the United States last week about its job market. In January, more than 243,000 net new jobs were created. There are more people being put back to work. They will get a pay cheque and, therefore, be able to buy more goods and services. This will encourage investors to open more businesses and the multiplier effect could contribute to better days for their economy.

Job creation is a major focus of the US president. He knows that fixing the problem of unemployment is critical to the recovery of the US economy. In Jamaica, we have a major problem of joblessness. We are not alone in the world with this problem.

The sign from the US is that it is seeking to create new jobs. One such initiative is being undertaken by the mayor of Washington, DC, by way of a programme labelled 'One City - One Hire'. This "is an employer-driven hiring initiative with the goal of putting DC residents back to work. One City - One Hire is an innovative economic development strategy that serves as a catalyst to jump-start Mayor Vincent Gray's pledge to put all unemployed DC residents - in every ward of the city - back to work.

"While this initiative is not limited to DC employers, if every business in the District of Columbia and Washington metropolitan area with a job opening hired just ONE unemployed District resident, the boost to the DC and regional economy would be felt almost IMMEDIATELY." If an approach like this is working for America, can it also work for Jamaica?

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller's recent call for some Jamaican businesses to consider hiring at least one additional employee coincidentally takes the same approach as the mayor of DC. Her call for a 'Jamaica Employ' has received some support from sections of the private sector. Both the presidents of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) seem amenable to sitting with Government to work out details of such a programme. JEF President Wayne Chen has gone further and called for a jobs summit.

The signs and seeds of a private sector-government partnership to seriously tackle the issue of joblessness are emerging. It is incumbent on our national leaders in the political and business directorates to recognise these possibilities and immediately commence dialogue which could see a real reduction in the levels of unemployment in Jamaica.

In such an endeavour, there are critical roles for civil society, the trade unions, and other stakeholders to seize the moment and contribute to national development through job creation.

Last July, STATIN estimated that unemployment stood at 12.8 per cent of our active labour force. This is very high and reflected the impact of the recession which saw more than 100,000 people losing their jobs over the last four years in Jamaica.

These figures, as bad they are, do not tell the whole story. There are thousands more Jamaicans who are able to work currently without a job but are not counted as part of the unemployed. These people are referred to as being 'outside the labour force'. They can be found among the pool from which many gang leaders recruit to conduct their murderous war against society. It is, therefore, in the interest of our beloved country that this pool be reduced by the creation of jobs.

put idle hands to work

Experience has shown that one of the best ways to reduce crime is to put idle hands to work. Hard policing, while welcomed by some, has not demonstrated that it is a sustainable way to reduce crime and make our society safer.

Jamaicans from all walks of life are replete with ideas as to how to create jobs and make Jamaica a better place. Often, letter writers to newspapers and callers to talk shows freely share their ideas with the public. There is a renewed sense of hope and expectation now pervading the land that better days are possible.

What is missing, however, is a national mechanism to collect, collate and consummate the rich and creative ideas flowing from our people. The Government needs to set up a secretariat, maybe in the Ministry of Labour, where citizens, here and in the diaspora, can deposit their ideas for action. This would be a concrete manifestation of the principle of 'Participation, Accountability and Responsibility', which the governing party so loudly trumpeted as part of its Progressive Agenda.

The Government's focus on job creation, whether through Jamaica Employ or the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP), is laudable. There is no doubt that there is a will to promote job creation on the part of the State. Government alone, however, cannot do it. The tight fiscal space limits the possibilities facing the Government as a direct creator of jobs. Four billion dollars to jump-start JEEP is welcome. More people will be able to buy more goods and services in Jamaica.

reducing unemployment through partnership

Like the US economy, we can begin to reduce unemployment if the partnership between the private sector, Government, civil society and the trade unions becomes a reality.

I am a fervent believer that properly mobilised, the Jamaican people are capable of making the necessary sacrifices to kick-start our economy. This is a time when every Jamaican must ask himself or herself: What can I do for Jamaica? This is the time to postpone the question, What can Jamaica do for me? National sacrifices were made for the Jamaica Debt Exchange a few years ago. So, too, were national sacrifices made to 'save the dollar' years ago.

It is, therefore, not the making of sacrifice that is holding back our beloved country from its prosperity and development. What is required are leaders who will make the sacrifices count as real building blocks in constructing a Jamaica where we all truly want to live, work, raise a family and do business.

Job creation, which is so essential to national development, must become the central focus of all Jamaicans in this our 50th year of Independence. If we have the will, together we can find the way.

Lambert Brown is president of the University and Allied Workers' Union and a government senator. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and Labpoyh@yahoo.com.