The findings of the occupational wage survey recently released by the Department of Statistics are an effort in propaganda and not a true representation of what people are earning in New Providence and Grand Bahama. Chamber of Commerce President Tanya Wright, while admitting that she has not had the opportunity to properly review the results, said the survey leaves a lot of unanswered questions, considering that it did not survey three critical sectors: the public service, hotels and agriculture.
“It does not seem as if major players in the employment sector were actually polled. I understand that the hotel sector was not included and I think they are important in order for us to have statistical figures that we can rely on,” she said.
“I would have liked to have seen the poll be a little more representative of our workforce, including employees on our Family of Islands.
According to preliminary results of the 2003/2004 occupational wage survey, the average employee in the sectors surveyed received an annual salary of $23,751, with males taking home an estimated $25,869 and females, $21,675.
Based on the data, the average hourly wage was $12 with an overall weekly salary of $457.
Those figures were based on the feedback provided by 579 business establishments surveyed in New Providence and 171 in Grand Bahama. When officials at the Department of Statistics revealed the results of the survey, they indicated that they had polled only private businesses in New Providence and Grand Bahama because that is where 80 percent of the population is concentrated.
But Elton Gibson, an accountant, also raised questions about the survey.
“The results may have been distorted in that I think the sampling group may have been more above the average and the ones that were left out may represent as much as 60 percent,” Mr. Gibson said.
“Besides that on average the cost of living goes up by three percent per annum and I don’t think salaries increase at the same pace.”
The survey findings indicated that senior officials such as directors and chief executive officers and managers like those in the finance, marketing, sales and insurance sectors were among those with the highest salaries.
Those Bahamians taking home the lowest salaries fell in the elementary group like porters, vendors, garbage collectors and janitors, with an average annual wage of $12,602.
Officials at the Department of Labour are hoping to build on the information gathered during this survey when it attempts the process again in another two years.
The Chamber of Commerce has already offered its assistance in fulfilling that goal.
“If we are consulted at the beginning, we could engage our full membership – which represents a very broad section of the Bahamian workforce – in order to poll the employers and employees,” Mrs. Wright suggested. “We look forward to every opportunity to do all we can.”
But while some may seem quick to criticize the survey, President of the Bahamas Employers Confederation Brian Nutt feels officials at the Department of Statistics should be applauded for finally completing the poll, after more than one attempt.
Officials said they were unsuccessful on several occasions because of the lack of response from the various business establishments.
Mr. Nutt further pointed out that it should be taken into consideration that the survey was done while talks centered on trade liberalization.
“Although this would prove helpful in any type of free trade group, it is-necessary for us as Bahamians to have this information available,” he said.
From: The Bahama Journal
