Following a jump in the unemployment rate, president of the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) Ancel Roget, is questioning the research methodology used by the Central Statistics Office in tabulating the latest figures.
The latest data from the CSO indicates that the unemployment rate increased from 3.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2016 to 4.4 per cent in the second quarter–April to June 2016.
But Roget, who also heads the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU), said those figures were inaccurate. He said his research team had been tabulating unemployment figures across the divisions represented by his union and unemployment was significantly higher than what was presented by the CSO.
Accusing the CSO of "jerrymandering" statistics for political gain," Roget called on the CSO to declare its research methodology.
"This is something we have always spoken about. We have an issue with the method they use to calculate unemployment. Over what period of time they look at and what number of people they use to calculate unemployment levels."
He added: "We must remember there is a significant number who have not regained employment after being laid off." Among these are 1,000 plus OAS workers and over 650 workers from ArcelorMittal. Roget pointed out that many employers were laying off workers without declaring it to the Minister of Labour.
Roget also noted that trade unions represented only 20 per cent of employees.
"Because the process to get recognition is so onerous, we have 80 per cent of employees being non-unionised," Roget added.
Asked whether JTUM and the National Trade Union Centre will be tabulating their own unemployment statistics and revealing it to the public, Roget said this was not the focus right now.
He said the trade union movement was more concerned with changing the Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act and other anti-worker labour laws, including the Industrial Relations Act.
"We are certain that there are thousands of people who have been sent home. We can pull together our statistics but we are certain that if we change the Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act and make it more unattractive for employers, then more workers jobs could be saved," Roget said.
CSO RESPONDS
Contacted yesterday, a senior official at CSO said it was not true that statistics were being manipulated for political gain.
"We have a methodology that is internationally accepted and these latest figures would have been compiled by experts in the field. It is not us following any methodology of the Government," the official said. Asked whether data from the trade union movement was incorporated, the source said no.
"We normally conduct a survey of households called the continuous sample survey of population and this is our main instrument for collecting data on our labour force. We may also use secondary data of different types to be able to corroborate what we are seeing. The continuous sample survey is what we take to households so we gather first-hand information," the official explained. The source also said there was no need for the CSO to try to get a better system in place to get key data on unemployment as the standards already used were internationally acceptable.
Economist Indera Sagewan-Alli said given the number of challenges facing the CSO she was concerned about the validity of the 4.4 per cent unemployment rate. She called on Government to create employment opportunities by offering incentives to encourage the manufacturing sector and the agricultural sector.
Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus could not be reached on her cellphone yesterday. Her assistant said she was engaged in several meetings and could not speak to the T&T Guardian. Several messages were left for the minister but she did not respond up to late yesterday.
Latest statistics
Based on the latest CSO data the labour force fell from 641,900 to 640,900–a decrease of 1,000 or 0.2 per cent. The labour force participation rate fell from 61 per cent to 60 per cent while persons employed fell from 617,800 to 612,400–a decrease 5,400 or 0.9 per cent.
The number of unemployed persons rose from 24,100 to 28,500–4,400 or 18.3 per cent while the unemployment rate increased from 3.8 per cent to 4.4 per cent.