During a Legislative Assembly meeting last week, Finance Minister Marco Archer gave fellow lawmakers a summary of the state of the Cayman Islands economy.
Citing 2013 statistics, Minister Archer said the unemployment rate among Caymanians was 9.4 percent, down from 10.5 percent the prior year. The unemployment rate among non-Caymanians was 3.1 percent, up from 2.4 percent the previous year. The overall unemployment rate, meanwhile, increased to 6.3 percent from 6.1 percent.
Minister Archer then broke from his prepared remarks to give an off-the-cuff assessment: “What we’re seeing is a decline in the unemployment rate for Caymanians and an increase in the unemployment rate for non-Caymanians. So it’s an improvement in that ours is coming down and the other is rising.”
Beg pardon: “Ours”? … “Others”?
Have divisions in Cayman truly grown so deep that, during official proceedings of government, our leaders now employ free use of an us-versus-them vernacular that echoes the sort of “belongers and non-belongers” paradigm that has paralyzed Cayman’s sister territories, such as the Turks and Caicos Islands – while celebrating an overall increase in unemployment, so long as it’s at the expense of foreign residents?
Later pressed for clarification by a reporter, Minister Archer recited a different narrative (which, in our opinion, he should have stuck to in the first instance), specifically that it’s bad news for the economy, of course, if the overall unemployment rate increases, regardless of what the cross-tabs say about immigration status.
In general, this Editorial Board has been supportive of Minister Archer’s job performance, and we tend to believe that his secondary remarks more accurately reflect his personal beliefs than does his initial impromptu statement.
However – whether or not Minister Archer actually believes that economic progress equates to “more Caymanians employed, and fewer expatriates,” the dispiriting fact is many Caymanians do subscribe to that precept, including ones in positions of considerable influence.
Indeed, after Minister Archer made his “ours” and “others” observation, not a single member in the Legislative Assembly said one word about it. Either they weren’t listening, or they didn’t have a problem with what they had heard.
Here’s our problem: Ideologically and empirically, it does not make sense to pursue strategies designed to increase Caymanian employment at the expense of expatriate workers. First, it flouts basic economic conventions. Second, statistical evidence over the past decade consistently demonstrates that the fewer work permit holders there are in Cayman, the fewer Caymanians who are employed.
Yet, the Progressives government, which includes Minister Archer, has acted precisely according to the philosophy Minister Archer espoused and then denied. That is, the Progressives’ war against unemployment has proceeded along two fronts: 1) Actively try to place unemployed Caymanians in already-existing jobs; and 2) Make it as difficult as possible for employed expatriates to remain in Cayman.
Their approach is entirely backward.
The bottom line is, rather than focusing efforts on finding jobs for Caymanians and denying jobs to expatriates, the government should be creating an economic atmosphere conducive to job creation, and that means private sector success through the growth and deregulation of the overall economy. That is the only path that will result in more employment opportunities for Caymanians – and for non-Caymanians as well. It also will bring much-needed revenue to the government to pay off its horrifically high debt and unfunded liabilities (such as pensions and health).
Not only does “a rising tide lift all boats,” but Cayman’s local economy is so small and intra-dependent – in other words, insular – that everyone living here is actually in the same boat. The government’s duty is to ensure that boat is as large and inclusive as possible, not to apportion life jackets and oars based on immigration status.
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Really good reading Compass, however I find it hard to believe that many people will agree with it. Because the belief that the amount of Expat workers in Cayman is the direct cause for the Unemployment rate among Caymanians is entrenched deep in the Caymanian culture and this includes the Us vs. Them attitude. These beliefs have been used for years by politicians to gain political ground and it’s not about to change anytime soon, simply because it’s only Caymanians that Vote not expats or Visitors. Bottom line it that Caymans leader can care less about their expat population as long as the work permit fees keep coming in. And Blaming the unemployment situation on them is a lot easier then telling the people you want to vote for you the truth.
How about denying medical insurance to Caymanians who are not born on the islands. This is OK too?
George, can you elaborate a little. On how medical insurance is denied to Caymanians not born on the islands ? Does this mean that if you are a status holder or married to a Caymanian that you are not allowed to purchase medical insurance ?
I personally know a person who works with a statutory body for almost 29 years only to have his cinico insurance withdrawn when he stops working at 60 years old. Is this justice, is this human rights being protected? or is it prejudice and divisiveness?.The person is now having medical issues. Should people be treated this way in this enlighten and modern democracy who boasts about human rights record?. What reason(s) justify these kind of treatment regardless of birth or origin?
Thanks George, so let me get this right, he is Caymanian with Caymanian Parents, but he was not born in Cayman, he worked for the CIG for 29 years and is being denied medical Insurance simply because he was not born on the island. Is this Cayman Law? Compass can you confirm that this is the law in Cayman.
This really gets under my skin, same style as how someone can come to cayman and work for Seven years be expected to invest their all into the local economy, by a home and do everything they can to become a part of the local community just to get kicked to the curb when Cayman is done with them or just before you would be eligible for any kind of human rights in Cayman. But this story is even worse, a Caymanian that gave 29 years of Service to the CIG to be told that he doesn’t qualify for insurance when he retires because you were not born here. This just adds more credence to my earlier comments about not caring a thing about expats or Visitors. And in this case a Caymanian. How can Cayman as a country expect expats to give back to a community in which they will never be excepted or respected. I mean look at how this guy who happens to be Caymanian was treated just because he was not born on the island, I guess women carrying children should never take the chance of leaving the island till they give birth if they want their child to truly be a Caymanian. I hear people complaining so much about things like opening stores on Sunday or a national lottery not fitting Cayman because it’s unchristianlike and Caymanians are a Christian people. Yet on the other had they are full of Bigotry, hatred and envy for their fellow man, and oh yeah every church has a raffle. Sounds like Hypocrisy to me..