The government paid out over $5 million in unemployment benefits in the first nine months of 2012 to more than 4,000 people, according to the Department of Statistics.
According to the Labour Market Information report released this month, of the 23,044 people who claimed National Insurance Board benefits in the first nine months of last year, 4,563 people received unemployment benefits.
The total benefit claims included sickness, maternity, unemployment, funeral, sickness assistance, and industrial injury.
According to the data, over $8 million was paid to over 13,000 people in sickness benefits; over $4 million was paid to nearly 2,400 people in maternity benefits and over $1.8 million was paid to 1,136 people in funeral benefits.
Six people were awarded $815 in sickness assistance and 1,250 people were awarded $1.3 million in industrial injuries benefits.
The unemployment benefit program started in May 2009 under the former Ingraham administration. The program pays qualified applicants every two weeks for 13 weeks.
Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham touted the initiative as a key social program introduced to help Bahamians negatively impacted by the 2008 global financial crisis.
He had promised to extend the program to 26 weeks if re-elected.
According to the latest figures provided by the Department of Statistics, there were 165,255 people listed as employed and 26,950 as unemployed.
The Labour Force Survey was conducted during October 29 to November 4, 2012.
It showed that unemployment in The Bahamas was 14 percent. The unemployment rate in New Providence was 13.1 percent and the rate in Grand Bahama was 18 percent.
By Travis Cartwright-Carroll
Guardian Staff Reporter
