'Unemployment under control'
Newly-appointed Minister of Trade and Industry, Mariano Browne, has assured that the Government will not let unemployment spiral out of control, though he admitted that the country is facing a crisis of confidence. Ref. Source 6
10% unemployment by year's end
Economist predicts
A local economist is predicting that the unemployment rate will jump to at least 10 per cent by the end of the year, an increase of at least four per cent from the average unemployment figures given for the last three years. Ref. Source 4
This unemployment rate is increasing quite steadily and with the recent Global Financial crisis, things are just growing from bad to worse. I think this country will be ripe for another coup. People are fed up with the government claiming not to have enough money to assist children who are in urgent need of surgery abroad. Numerous times people have clamoured for more jobs and the government seems to be intent on using "imported labour" and ignoring the locals. It is only a matter of time when people are going to snap and start looting.
Downside to 'historic' 3.9%
Nunez-Tesheira on unemployment:
Trinidad and Tobago's latest unemployment figure of 3.9 per cent for the last quarter of 2008 is an historic accomplishment but one that also has a downside, since it reflects a constraint in the labour force, Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira said yesterday. Ref. Source 6