Earl Moxam, Senior Gleaner Writer

( L - R ) Coke-Lloyd, Wedderburn

Forty-nine per cent of respondents in a recent Gleaner-sponsored survey said they were surviving on the income they were making from their job. Another 45 per cent of respondents in the Bill Johnson poll said they were 'barely' surviving off their income. Six per cent said they could not survive on their income, and one per cent said they did not know.

"We have a problem!" was the succinct response of Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd, executive director of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF). "If half of these persons can't survive on their salaries, what are they doing otherwise? Is it that they have other jobs? Are they doing illegal activities? Are their children malnourished? Are their children going to school? Are they moonlighting on their regular jobs?"

Not adequately educated

The problem, according to Coke-Lloyd, relates, in part, to an education system that is not adequately preparing young people for the job market. "We are getting too many résumés and having too many interviews with persons who are unemployable; and we are talking about even those who have CXCs. So we need to take a closer look at the CXC examination and what it is testing."

As a consequence, she said, Jamaica was not attracting enough high-paying jobs as other, more competitivecountries.

Nevertheless, in answer to another question, 69 per cent of the respondents in the June 16-17 poll asserted that they were qualified to have a better job than their present one.

"I would be willing to suggest that a fair percentage of those are young people (particularly women) leaving university with a first degree, but not finding jobs that meet their expectations," said Judith Wedderburn, director (Jamaica & Eastern Caribbean) of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

That view is strengthened by the fact that 49 per cent of the respondents who are working said that there were not enough jobs available. Among those who are out of work and are seeking a job, 52 per cent also said there were not enough jobs.

Look to growth areas

Among those who are seeking a job for which, in their opinion, they are qualified, 43 per cent would prefer finding that type of job in Jamaica, and an equal number would rather secure it overseas.

Young people hoping to land jobs with good prospects should look to those areas of the economy that are likely to be the growth leaders, according to Coke-Lloyd.

The JEF had identified several, she said, including the hospitality industry, agro processing and niche market agricultural produce, sports and entertainment, and segments of the information technology sector.

As for those not having particularly high expectations of their own job prospects, Ms. Wedderburn surmises that this may be connected to their own sense of self worth.

"There might be an inherent lack of confidence. Where their educational accomplishment is not very high, their job expectations would not be as high as the person who has achieved greater levels of educational accomplishment, and that also needs to be addressed," she said.

Huge crowds gathered at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security's Overseas Employment Centre at East Street, central Kingston in this March 2005 photo, hoping to be chosen to participate in the Canadian Farm Work Programme. - File photos