CIG expects 35,000+ work permits in 2020
(CNS): Government is expecting to process around 41,000 work permits next year, which means that well over 35,000 permits are likely to be granted, according to the labour ministry’s chief officer. The information was just one of a number of revelations during the recent Finance Committee hearings that pointed to Cayman’s growing population and the challenges coming with that, from traffic issues to the housing crisis.
The acting chief officer in the Ministry of Employment, Michael Ebanks, said that of the 41,000 work permits processed, around 90% could be granted. Answering questions from the opposition benches, he confirmed that it was fair to say Cayman would see at least 35,000 work permits in circulation, if not more, in 2020.
The national census will take place next year, giving an accurate assessment of the current population. But the Economics and Statistics Office’s latest headcount is around 68,000, based on figures calculated in June this year.
The latest permit figures suggest there are now around 30,000 work permit holders. But next year Cayman’s population is set to grow by at least another 5,000 people and possibly many more, once dependents, new babies and returning Caymanians are also counted, if these outstrip deaths and emigration.
Despite the significant predicted increase, Premier Alden McLaughlin has insisted his government has no specific policy to grow Cayman’s population. Although he has predicted that over the next decade Cayman’s population could grow to 100,000 people, he sees it as a consequence of the government’s economic policy rather than a policy in its own right.
He accepted that the growing number of people here is increasing the pressure on our infrastructure, especially roads and housing, but he said he would still rather have these types of problems, which are the result of economic success, than the problem of 10% local unemployment, as was the case when the first PPM-led administration took office.
In an exchange with GTC representative Kenneth Bryan, the premier noted that no strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis had ever been done to determine the negative impacts of increasing the population.
The issue was compounded last week, when the Ministry of Finance was in the Finance Committee hot seat and Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson admitted that the type of analysis on numbers that could help inform government policy was either not being done or, if it was, not necessarily passing through to shape policy.
Responding to questions, McLaughlin said the population rise was not something he could necessarily control as it was a consequence of the economic boom. Other than telling businesses they could not hire staff, there wasn’t much more than could be done, he added.
“I wish there was some convenient tap that we could turn off and say, we have had enough now,” the premier told the committee. “What we are dealing with are the challenges of success.”
But with traffic congestion reaching unprecedented levels and ordinary workers being priced out the housing market, the knock-on effect of this growing population is having some very unintended consequences.
McLaughlin said he was not insensitive to how this was impacting the community and the government was examining how developers could be persuaded to build more affordable homes. But with a booming economy and a scarcity of land, developers are focused on the high-end more lucrative market.
See the Finance Committee proceedings examining part of the premier’s employment ministry below:
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Local News
Yes Al Mac Bush more Spanish & Tagalog English test corruption scandals and foreign CBC need staff, exactly when is this going to stop Eh! This UNITY government garbage needs to go Cayman before they kill us all off.
Unity Government – Uniting to form at least one brain cell among themselves.
Yes Alden keep importing XXXXX into Cayman you dingbat when is this shit going to stop Time to crackdown on these Third world migrants now over.running this little place. We are calling for the removal of this unity abomination destroying these islands now! Come on Cayman we can do better than this? Stop this immigration nightmare Quality people not quantity scavengers pillaging every damn thing this little island has to offer.
Maybe if the lazy, self entitled Caymanians didn’t feel themselves to be above the jobs available to these so called 3rd world migrants they wouldn’t have the problems?? Just saying
Caymanians / Status holders – you have no-one to blame but yourselves.
You are the ones that elect the officials that are in power. The current gov’t is what you voted for and they are the ones making the decisions on this issue.
So, if you feel that you are somewhat disenfranchised by the amount of work permits being granted (or any other issue for that matter) – where are the torches and pitchforks? Why are you not marching outside or sitting outside Mckeeva / Aldens house day in and day out demanding change?
Its easy to be a keyboard warrior and fight from the comfort of your own home. But, if you look a the people in Hong Kong as an example, if you want REAL change, it is up to you to make that change!
For decades, these rascal politicians have been laughing at you. Lauhging all the way to the bank with their dodgy side deals / misappropriation of public funds.
Until such time as you, the people, make a stand and fight for your island, nothing will change. They will just continue to get richer and richer, and F*** up the country in the process.
With that said, CPR, I hope that your checks and balances on CIG do not stop with the port. There are so many more issues where they must be taken to account.
Great thank you CIG. I can now look forward in 2020 to more bad drivers, more cars on the road, more foreign accents, more attitude from a certain neighboring country who are overrunning this country, more crap on the beach, more noise on the beach, long lines at supermarkets, and the list goes on. CIG you are doing a stellar job.
Historical low Caymanian unemployment, historical high real estate rental income mostly owned by Caymanians. Net positive national budget surpluses (unlike the overwhelming majority of all other countries). Those the numbers I look at.
Then do nothing politicians only find the numbers they can use to sow divide, because that’s the only capability they actually have to get elected. Lie, make bullshit promises and sow divide.
Consider that the Cabinet has agreed to allow Gene Thompson’s “Tech Cayman”, to form companies where their customers get unlimited fast-tracked long-dated and discounted work permits (including dependents, and in-laws) with immunity from section 44 of Immigration Law (2015) [which concerns local advertising and/or attempting to find suitable qualified Caymanians]. Obviously Gene Thompson, and any other investors, get a cut of those fees…does the other part of the fee get booked to WORC, or does it get paid directly to the Ministers? Cayman’s long-rumoured backdoor patronage systems are becoming formally hardwired into the employment landscape under very loose governance. No wonder there is so much resistance to SIPL, and such a proliferation of work permit holders. It’s gross on many levels.
This is just a cut an paste from Cayman Enterprise City with the unlimited special permits and no oversight. Note all of the financial crime stories this year involved companies that ended in SEZC. Surprise surprise that the people behind CEC are well connected.
How many work permits issued for expats employing expats? Would be interesting to know from many points. How does this contributes to economic success of the Cayman Islands? What are the benefits and the cost to the country. In $$$ course.
There should be some balance. When expatriates population exceeds the local population, the balance is broken. The word invasion comes to mind.
I personally don’t think expats should be allowed to employ other expats, unless they are willing and are able to pay some sort significant tax, certainly more than a WP fee.
Look the the Airport departure – how many locals work there in the security; the entire service industry – how many locals? fosters supermarket – how many locals? The local tour operators – how many locals actually work??? the bars on SMB – how many locals? Soon more foreign security guards at HSA…
can’t make Caymanians work if they don’t want to.
35000 permits – 1200 unemployed. Even if all the unemployed were employable and interested in doing the jobs n offer, what do you suggest should be done with the other 33800 jobs? Refuse to employ people? Let’s shrink the economy to fit the size of the Caymanian population?
There is such a thing as transferable skills. Open the door to seasoned professional that would do well with on the job training and open the trainee roles to the millenials. But I forgot, everybody wants to hire an Einstein and pay for an Archie. 🤷🏻♀️
Increasing the workforce without addressing a number of issues in our country is insane to me.
If the leaders of this country are insistent on increasing the population then certain aspects of our infrastructure needs to be overhauled and expanded starting with our broken public transportation system. If we are to encourage locals and mainly short term works to use public transit then we need a proper metro system that is ran by the government that offers defined schedules, routes and stops and where the drivers are government employees who are payed a living wage along we them receiving proper benefits. Our transit system needs to have schedules and routes that are strictly adhere to and that information needs to be readily is available to the public. I think that a metro/bus pass along with a system that takes other forms of payment besides cash would also be welcomed. The current omnibus model also needs to be done away with and replaced with vehicles that provide proper seating, walk ways and safety escapes. I also feel that there should be a system in place to incentivize short term workers to utilize the public transit systems by offering vouchers, passes or something similar that would encourage them to use the transit system over owning a vehicle.
I have also seen a number of comments stating why Caymanians or locals don’t fill unskilled jobs. I feel that there a few reasons outside of the standard Caymanians and locals are unwilling to work. The lack of a proper minimum living wage in this Island is a big part of the issue along with the lack of workers rights and the high levels of wage theft and worker abuse. The minimum wage in this Island is a joke, no one can survive and support a family on $6 an hour and when you couple that with ever increasing price of accommodations and other aspects of daily life, we will find ourselves with workers that can’t support themselves or their families.
There is also the topic of worker abuse and wage theft. A lot of employers wouldn’t heir locals no matter what as they are less likely to put up with their abuse and manipulation. Employers force expats to work for inhumane hours and some even go as far to restrict their employees movement by holding onto their travel documents in order to intimidate and manipulate them. Then there is the issue of wage theft where employers will force workers to work overtime and holidays without pay or compensation for their time.
All in all, I feel like there are a number of issues that should be addressed before expanding the number of works on Island.
Wage theft, yep. A local who owns a caregiver/maid service does that to her expat employees. She takes 80% and they get crumbs. Deplorable.
And when these actual thefts, including of pension monies, are reported to the police THEY DO NOTHING! In fact they refuse to act. Heads should roll, but as usual, no accountability.
Well we can’t stop the amount of people coming here so I say, Caymanians keep having babies! Don’t let us become a minority in our own country!!
Sure have more entitled children who don’t think they should work hard to get higher up positions and more pay… that’ll totally not blow up in your face.
Great! In every other nation on Earth (including YOURS!), unskilled labor and most retail jobs go to high school students, young adults working through college, retirees and employed adults looking for a second or third source of income. ONLY in the Cayman Islands do we have to IMPORT labor on work permits to work the damn drive thru at KFC!! People spewing this BS “oh, Caymanians don’t want THOSE jobs!” Ask any of the 700 temporary NICE workers if they wouldn’t take a full time fast food job. Ask UCCI students if they wouldn’t like a part time job to earn money for expenses and WORK EXPERIENCE! Isn’t that how it works everywhere else in the world??
So why are Caymanian business owners not employing their fellow Caymanians? Why do business owners go to the considerable time and expense of applying for work permits for expats? I don’t know why but if Caymanians want those jobs as you claim then you need to answer those questions honestly.
Simple, Slave labor!!! See it happening all the time, sad but true!!!
10:32 is correct. Why it isn’t so in Cayman, I don’t know. May be KFC should go out of business if it won’t employ local people?
Locals won’t work if they can get more for free.
Hello, that mentally is not only unique to Cayman. I know for a fact that there are Caymanians who apply for jobs and they are not given the time of day.
That would make some Caymanians less than others, and we refuse to serve our own kind. A reality and a legacy of colonialism, I am afraid. It is most refreshing when overseas to experience being served or dealt with by a national of the country one is in, particularly if it is an English-speaking country, where an actual conversation is possible with just about anyone no matter how menial their job. So to be clear, I agree with you, but I suspect I am right about why the response is always that Caymanians do not want those jobs. Also, do bear in mind that high school students do get jobs here, just during the summer. My first was when I was 12 years old. To be honest, I wish I had taken those summers to grow as a person instead. It would have been better preparation for the rat race Cayman is today.
Here is a PERFECT example;
I remember many years ago when a couple of teenagers robbed the Dominos in Savannah. When comments were eventually open on CNS, one commenters answer was to make them work at Wendy’s or Burger King… as punishment…
What does THAT tell you about Cayman culture??
I worked at Wendy’s in high school with a few friends. We actually had fun at work! And I made enough money to take myself on a Spring Break trip the next year.
@8:41AM Wait a minute…WHAT?? ONE commenter says some foolishness on CNS, and THAT is supposed to be reflective of the mindset of the ENTIRE “Cayman culture”??? Seriously? THAT is your “Perfect example”??
I gather from your comment that you are not from Cayman. No doubt you come from one of those countries that use terms like “the African American community”, suggesting that a single person’s actions and opinions are reflective of an ENTIRE race of people. SMH. Please go back to where your bigotry is understood and accepted. Thank you.
This government loves money too much. Push so hard for work permits to fill up their pockets and then run and tax us 22%+ on just about everything. Our import tax is one of the highest in the Caribbean. No wonder we’re the most expensive place to live…..
It is simple. Tax expats and use the tax to benefit Caymanians.
They are. The tax is called work permit fees.
Which is exactly what a work permit is, dummy.
They are already taxed via the Work Permit fees.
Cayman needs to be very careful going forward, granting all these work permits needs proper scrutiny so many unskilled when so many caymanians out of work? Another 4000 cars on the road no doubt. Just love it, what a mess I see coming, someone somewhere isn’t doing their job
Okay before you get so excited remember that the Government does not sell work permits.
Caymanians and Caymanians companies apply for work permits.
Caymanians control this island …why do we blame others.
If you don’t want any more non nationals in cayman. Stop apply for work permits. Its that simply.
When there has been even one prosecution for fronting, you will have a point. Until then, bollocks.
How many are unskilled laborers in this number? I thought to get a work permit one has to have verifiable trade or professional skills that are essential for economic success of the territory.
If you open a gate for unskilled domestic labor, you get flooded. What is unskilled labour WP fee revenue compared to that of professional? Who are they? Gardeners, domestic help, caregivers? How many are employed be expats and how many by Caymanians?
You need to know that to decide if you want to regulate the policy. Maybe increase domestic help WP fees for expats? By doing so you could change the demographics of expats. Or you could implement a new policy that would obligate an expat to sponsor a re-training of unemployed Caymanian in exchange for WP for a domestic helper.
@4:56 – I’ve never been able to find a Caymanian who will do domestic work, gardening, or be a caregiver. Caymanians will not take those jobs which is why we have so many work permits for low-skilled jobs. If Caymanians didn’t nose jobs we wouldn’t have the need for so many work permits.
Why aren’t the daycares an option instead of nannies?
Because nannies are cheaper with the min wage being set so low (slave labour). Unbelievably they are exempt from pension payments too and have the min health coverage. Nurseries employ qualified staff (trained) who command higher salaries, have property & equipment to maintain, plus the staff get a full benefit package. Hence the cost is so high.
Because they are expensive and closed a lot so you need a nanny AND daycare to cover while you work.
Well, when expats hire other expats to “help” them, maybe this needs to be looked into? From economics point of view. Expats pay WP fees for a “domestic help “ expat. The fee is small. But what is the cost to the territory’ infrastructure for example? Each person including visitors, contributes its share to roads wear and the dump growth for example. What is the cost per person? The cost of maintenance, upgrades, renovations, expansion etc. Does WP fee covers the cost?
WP fees cover the cost of all the nice government cars. It’s like South African politicians riding around in BMWs instead of working. Customs searched a few of my containers and they show up in brand new Hiluxs. La tee da, they fancy in CIG jobs.
Government budget $750,000,000. Population 75000.
hold up!! more people? and what about their waste? we just going to add it to the current problem? So more work permits = more trash = bigger mount trashmoure? Does Cayman want a mountain that bad? A mountain of trash?
I LOVE how the PPM are taking credit for the world economy (when they took power unemployment was at 10%). Of course we were coming out of a GLOBAL recession! What they’re not taking credit for is the UNDER-EMPLOYMENT being experienced by many locals.
Well what i see is a big mess coming cayman,,,,saw a young lady few weeks ago,i thought she was a school girl,so I said morning and continues to ask why she’s not in school? Only to find out she’s not a school girl ,but 22 and is looking work. So I said to her,you will need a work permit to work here,,,haha she said she’s got a work permit but she has to look her own work…now my question is,how did she get a work permit if the individual didn’t have work for her.this is a disgrace,besides that she has to pay the individual that holds the permit when she work .business affairs and racketeering .May God help our use to be beautiful islands and have mercy on our Leaders…A true blooded caymanian .
Did you get her name? Did you make a report to Immigration?
And why do we have unemployment in Cayman for anyone looking actively for work?
CV is very poor.
Dire education system at a guess.
I’m Caymanian and let’s be real here, I don’t see one of us lining up to cashier at fosters, or be a nanny, or construction worker. These are jobs mostly Jamaicans and Filipinos have. In fact, most of the jobs I’ve seen Caymanians have are in the office and the high ranking jobs, the problem with young Caymanians not finding work is because of the parents. These are the same children who drop out of cifec and go and do drugs all night, then they turn into druggies and wonder why they can’t find a job. I’ve seen plenty of Caymanian success stories but it’s because they’re parents raised them to work hard and kept them off the streets.
To the parents: stop blaming expats for YOUR children’s problems, it’s actually a law to seek a Caymanian for a job before it’s given to an expat so before you bash expats for coming here to work probably because THEY can’t find a job back home, ask yourself, maybe I need to pay attention to my child and their education and well being.
And this is coming from a Caymanian. Full blooded. Period.
What nobody ever mentions, for it never crosses people’s minds, is that in 2019
to get a job and keep it requires more than just desire to work.
The jobs market is well into the 21st century, but education system isn’t.
Most people performing 21st century jobs are still stuck in the previous century.
In an age where skill sets can become obsolete in just a few years, many workers are scrambling just to stay current.
It used to be that only certain types of jobs—like computer programmers, IT troubleshooters and licensed professionals needed constant training and upskilling. Now, in 21st century, all of us are expected to continuously learn new skills, new tools, and new systems. Skill, re-skill and re-skill again is required from everyone. From a waiter, garbage collector to a construction worker and mechanic.
The days of working for 40 years at one job and retiring with a good pension are gone.
There is a mismatch between the skills people have and the skills they need for their current jobs.
This mismatch is especially clear in the Cayman islands. Learning disabilities that many unemployed and unemployable Caymanian people have are not accessed (evaluated) and addressed. Many learning disabilities could be corrected and that could lead persons to successful life outcomes.
So next time you bash a Caymanian who quit his job as lazy and stupid, ask him (or yourself) if he experiences(d) difficulties in performing a job task and what these difficulties are. It could be that he needs to bring his skills up to date, or has a learning disability such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, poor executive function, attention problems or auditory processing disorder. Ask yourself, if anything could be done to help, without embarrassing him further.
When a country experiences economic success but neglects to help its own people, its own potential workforce by continuously re-educating them, re-training them and making cognitive function improvement programs available to both adults and children, it (the country) becomes overrun by foreign workers.
Completely agree with you.
At least Michael Myles is trying: http://www.inspirecaymantraining.com
They have some new secretarial and other courses coming next year too.
True heroes such as Michael Myles are not recognized or supported, let alone financed by the CIG.
Don’t disagree but the main obstacle is that the unemployed Caymanians will not turn up for work regularly and dependably, for whatever reason. If you can’t show up regularly, you are unemployable—even if the reason is not your fault.
If you are so hell bent on increasing the population, at least try to diversify from where you are sourcing all these people.
Caymanians already feel disenfranchised in ourr home country as we have lost all of our little culture and identity to the 3 most populous work permit holders on the island. We are outnumbered by the Jamaicans, The Canadians and the Filipinos in the working age brackets. No one group of people should outnumber your local people in any country. when that is the case there will always be turmoil and disdain as those people are not going to try and fit in with us and that creates separation in society. when people move to other countries they try their best to fit in and adapt to the culture but that is not the case here.
Canadians segregate themselves mostly and hardly ever blend with the locals. Filipinos are the same but they blend better and Jamaicans have permeated every aspect of the culture to the point where young Caymanians can speak and understand patois better than their own dialect.
Maybe do a little research before you comment:
https://www.caymancompass.com/2019/05/16/the-changing-face-of-caymans-workforce-130-nationalities-in-cayman/
Live a little and look with your own eyes. Nationalities exist in pockets. They are not evenly spread throughout the workforce. Jamaicans congregate together, as do Canadians etc. the comment was fair and accurate, and my bet is you cannot tell a Jamaican from an East Ender.
Not all nationalities are like this. When I first came to the island, I totally integrated in the culture and now am more local-ish than a lot of Caymanians that I know…
Jamaicans hang with the locals, the Filipinos mix occasionally, and the Canadians keep to themselves, the Indians don’t talk to nobody..
The Spanish have already mixed with Caymanians. Most Caymanians you meet nowadays have some kinda Spanish in them.
Define locals. There are many generational Caymanians that do not fit your stereotyping.
What kind of Jobs, other than in Deloitte, Filipinos hold? What kind of verifiable skills, unavailable among local population, they possess? Just curious.
What about Jamaicans?
Who holds mechanics jobs in Grand Cayman?
Filipinos are cleaners, gardeners, carers, hospitality workers. Jamaicans are in construction, public transport drivers, and many female workers are carers or cleaners. Jamaicans possibly hold the mechanics jobs too, not sure on that one. They all take up the unskilled jobs. The Canadians are more likely to be found in professional jobs such as lawyers, accountants, etc.
Canadians also dominate in the tourism and real estate industries.
There is no public transportation in the Cayman Islands.
Well, not racist much then…of course you could view it differently if you so chose, perhaps along the lines of “all these people coming here, paying fees, paying taxes on imports, buying food and clothes in local shops are adding wealth to the economy and creating jobs for Caymanians”. But no, let’s take the negative view, much easier to moan about something than see the benefit.
What culture do you realistically think Cayman has? Cayman has piggy backed on so much of Jamaica’s culture. Reggae music is played everywhere, right down to food options for tourists. I agree with some of what you said but be realistic, Jamaicans didn’t permeate Cayman’s culture, it’s actually the opposite. I also do not think Caymanians want to do the hard labor jobs like construction, gardening, domestic helpers, restaurant cooks, Fosters cashiers etc. which is 90% of the jobs Jamaicans and Filipinos hold here. Since you don’t want them here or feel it’s too much of them, encourage locals to do these menial jobs for chicken feed pay. I’m amazed at how Caymanians continue to be so anti-foreigners yet, you’re not willing to do these jobs or are not qualified to do the more high ranking jobs either.
Please read again. We are not anti foreigner, we actually need foreigners to diversify the gene pool and make the island work. I am simply saying that no one culture should have more working age people then the local population.
Jamaica has how many million people and when 1 the few Chinese came to build the port there was an uproar about the Chinese taking our jobs. Why is that? Its not about skill or who can do what job or who wants to work.
The difference is, many of the jobs the Chinese have taken in Jamaica are jobs Jamaicans can do, so they have a right to uproar. Huge difference here because if we had Caymanians who could do these jobs, we’d have room to have the same uproar. Now we just, or you just beat your gums and fingers for no reason. How many brain, heart, lung or any damn organ specialists are Caymanian? How many construction workers are Caymanian? How many teachers are Caymanian? How many Accountants are Caymanian? How many gardeners and mechanics are Caymanian? That my dear is why we have no choice but to import, and a fact a lot of Caymanians neglect to acknowledge before going on these anti-foreigner tirades. If you can do it, why is there a need for other people from around the world to come here and take all the aforementioned jobs. Would you prefer every WP holder pack up and leave or just the Jamaicans and Filipinos who there is too much of?
I am Caymanian btw and I’m just sick of the mindset that we can’t get anywhere because foreigners take our jobs and consume our little island. Cayman is not self sufficient. We will always have to import every damn thing, laborers included.
lets remember there are no native Caymanians…all originally from Jamaica and before that Africa, mixed with the blood of the slave traders that bought your forefathers here. Not pretty, but I cant change history. However, it is not surprising Jamaica plays such a large part here, is it a major part of Cayman’s history.
Simply not true. The first Caymanians were Scottish. Some Welsh and English followed, and then some Africans, both slaves and free.
And Caymanian politicians are the ones who regularly are opposed to increasing the minimum wage. The minimum wage here is an absolute disgrace by any standard.
wow!! 4 idiots didn’t like this reply….
Not all Jamaicans can be independent and hard working if some have to rely on family members or friends abroad to send them money back home,they should use some of that money and go to another country and better themselfs but a lot of them choose to live off of other people’s money..
PPM continues to sell out Cayman and worse since McKeeva hijacked it to form Unity Party!!
McKeeva is a moron but this is all on Alden and Moses. This is their party and they deserve all the blame.
and when we build all these nice pretty buildings and pretty roads and import all these crappy cars for all these work permit holders & their 2+ dependents each what happens when the bottom falls out…
Moratorium on all developments, on new WPs, on visitors # increase must be set UNTIL infrastructure is brought into 21 century-roads, waste management, sewer system and septic tanks upgrades,. That includes public bus transportation SYSTEM up and running.
The key phrase here is: 21 century infrastructure modernization.
If this is not done properly, you are heading for disaster. Environmental disaster, public health disaster, transportation disaster.
agreed.
@ Anonymous 10/12/2019 at 8:59 am – already there matey!
Who said Expat import crappy cars? I have seen Caymanians import crappy cars as well! Stop being an hater!
@ Dan 10:12am Didn’t say expats were importing the cars now did I?! read what I wrote.
you will be able to pick up a lot of cars and property on the cheap, before you have to move overseas to find a good job and then become an expat your self and send money back home to your family.
As an employer of over 200 people in Grand Cayman, I can tell you any Caymanian with a will to work and a decent work ethic has multiple opportunities and options for employment. I only wish we could find more Caymanians. For the past couple of years, the only successful Caymanian hires by our company have been ones that left other good jobs to come to us. We still give marginal (in the interview) unemployed Caymanians a chance but more often than not they don’t last more than 3 or 4 weeks. Work Permits are needed to keep businesses in business. They have to be renewed every year and on every renewal Caymanians have the opportunity to fill that post. There is a serious problem is where industry specific experience and knowledge are required. You have to stick around for a while to gain that. Any Politician that is still on the “no job opportunities for Caymanians” soapbox is out of touch with reality. Sadly, that describes most of them.
And yet many qualified and experienced Caymanians have suffered outright discrimination and have been actively pushed out of certain sectors by certain groups wanting “one of their own” in the organization. The fact that it happens and has happened is undeniable. The sting in the tail is that when that happens there is no accountability.
Nonsense. Every company on the Island jealously guards their good Caymanian employees and they even hang on to the barely adequate ones in most cases. And it’s not easy because a lot of them are open to moving if a better opportunity comes a long.
Any “qualified and experienced” Caymanians that can’t find a job are either pitching themselves too high in terms of seniority or pay, or they aren’t as qualified as they think they are.
Self serving rubbish!
Yes, like the one I had last week. Barely literate, no exams passed and he felt he should be Managing Director on a huge salary. His view was that his qualification for the job was that he is Caymanian. That is not a qualification. It is your nationality. There are a vocal minority who also believe just scraping along is OK, because you can complain about people if you get fired for not doing your job. How screwed up is that thinking?
Respectfully, there are two different arguments going on here. I’ve seen the same person fall into both categories. A Caymanian, qualified, experienced, hard working, who had a hard time getting promoted then hired at certain firms but happily taken (higher post than they left) & retained by the company they landed at.
We have to recognize that both situations (Caymanian Overemployment & anti-Caymanian Discrimination) can and do occur simultaneously. And both need to be addressed. (Companies need work permits to function/grow; discrimination is bad, perhaps especially anti-native discrimination.) And that the Cayman Islands need a growth (management) plan. Maybe even a Vision 2031 🙂
Legislation protecting rights is actually the worst thing for Caymanians. The market needs to be free so the job skills are learned and competition understood. When that happens, Caymanians will thrive (except for the same percentage in every land that cannot thrive physically or mentally). If you put a silver spoon in peoples mouths, they come to expect sugar, when sugar may no longer be good for you.
Bullshit. A failure to enforce the legislation is the problem. It is totally disgusting what has happened to many Caymanians with significant potential.
Do not underestimate the Filipinos. One gets here and gets in good with the company. They end up getting brother, sister, cousin, aunt & uncle here eventually in the same company. Then they all live together and spend little or nothing and save to go back home used to be the theme. Nowadays, many do not want to go back there either. This is when they work out a plan to file for PR so they can stay. We are so quick to point fingers at Jamaicans but the Filipinos move in silence, so its harder to notice.
How I see it, everybody is trying to make ends meet. Even Caymanians leaving Cayman and inviting brother, sister, cousin, aunt and uncle, etc… I am in this world, but this world is not my home. No matter what I say to a politician, it does not click. They will forever do their thing in power. It is their show. But God will change things just you wait. I love change. Change is a good thing. Even mother nature creates change ; )
With cost of living increasing, the housing market only accessible by developers and a few others with money due to the developments catering to a particular class of people and those of a particular income bracket, the comments of the premier baffle me. He truly has discarded the Caymanian people and are just catering to the rich developers. I mean honestly, the government makes money from work permits, with all the one track mindedness in here in Cayman, I don’t see anyone really trying to cut down the numbers of work permits as the cut in revenue is just too juicy to give up for those who love to see numbers on a screen increase.
He speaks to us as if we are idiots and refuses to address core issues. His attempt to dismiss us at every turn is really getting aggravating. I guess the push for an responsive armed militia is the governments attempt to keep us in line because they foresee some push back.
Don’t forget it is government’s income that allows us to have all the services that we take for granted, without paying income tax.
Where does the income come from; I assure you that a lot of it does not come from immigration.
They know that the financial services industry relies on expats. Even if Cayman had a decent education system that produced world-class talent there wouldn’t be enough locals to keep this jurisdiction going at the level it is now.
The expats make the country rich, and the Caymanian voters get to enjoy the spoils. What is there to complain about?
The civil servants get to enjoy the spoils. The Caymanians in the private sector get it worse than them AND the expats. To earn a decent living that supports a family when businesses are hiking prices regularly because expats can afford them, Caymanians have to work for government or one of its authorities or companies. There are a lucky few, raised well, who are able to compete in the private sector, but time will tell how far they get in the end.
I always press the “Happy” button on articles like this because CNS doesn’t have a LOL button any more.
good point!! CNS… BRING BACK THE LOL BUTTON!!!
CNS: I can’t at the moment use all four buttons as before but it may be possible to replace the thumbs up and thumbs down with the LOL and the Troll buttons. Would you prefer that? Serious questions.
If the article is about Alden or Mckeeva these are the only two buttons that would be needed!
CNS – I think LOL/Troll are too situation-limited and (troll) misunderstood so the like/dislike are better, for all their shortcomings.
CNS – like and dislike would be fine, if only the site showed more than a fraction of the responses. Often it looks as if a comment has had no reaction, but upon giving one myself, I see that 21 other people already agreed (or disagreed) along with me. The number who chose the other option still won’t show. This has been a problem since this system was introduced; I have commented about it before and the response was along the lines of ‘we know, but it’s what we have to work with’.
Yes!
“I wish there was a tap…” I’m unsure if he thinks we are stupid or if he is an idiot.
and then they wonder where all these cars are coming from ….
Economic success? Hmmm..
Economically successful country doesn’t have 18 century waste “management”, dilapidated infrastructure, dismal education, poor health of its citizens, environmental degradation, destruction, and island wide uglification. Economically successful countries save for the rainy days. Here, they create new ministries that good for nothing.
To put this in perspective – New York, with a population of 8 mn people, has … ONE mayor.
let that sink in.
Yes, New York City, 1 mayor, with
– a 51 seat City Council
– 5 borough (district) boards, with borough president
– And then each of the City’s fifty-nine community districts has a community board composed of up to 50 volunteer members appointed by the local borough president.
So, still want to continue with your comparison? Because we haven’t even gotten to the approx. 50 city departments with a head appointed by the Mayor.
For a ‘small town’ that has to run all of the civic services of a ‘country’ Cayman has a pretty lean setup. And a democratic system which allows close contact between legislators and voters.
SMH
a small comparison to the size of the CIG when compared to percentage of population.
Civil service employs 5 – 6000 people – 10% of the entire country!
@ Anonymous 10/12/2019 at 6:39 am – Yeah, cos that’s what the shining light of the 1st world, the US of A, has done so successfully, right?!
But we’re “world class” (splutters)!
That is what happens when you neglect educating your own people.
It would be interesting to know where do they all work.
Finance, law and accounting professionals are probably a small fraction of WPHs.
The current rate of development is unsustainable . I have long advocated for these islands to have five year or ten year Development Plans . Such Plans would cover the complete spectrum ,Economy , Population , Infrastructural Development , Housing ,etc,. These Plans would themselves be determined by Manpower Needs Assessment Surveys . To blunder on as we are doing is to court disaster and I predict a coming crash which will have a meltdown similar to that of Chernobyl.
There is a Law of physics which in layman’s terms means “What goes up must come down “. It is patently fallacious for any person to believe that these islands can continue to be like Topsy in Uncle Tom’s Cabin ,” just growed up “. From my years in the Legislative Assembly I advocated for Development Planning . Not surprisingly I was labelled a socialist and mocked that only in the Eastern Bloc was such strategies adopted .Today ,almost forty years later we are still blundering blindly along with neither prayers nor prescription for securing a sustainable future . It is a madness which cannot last and our leaders cannot proffer nonsensical observations about such development being due to the policies of any one political directorate …not least one whose misguided actions left us with planes which can’t be flown , a failing education system , traffic congestion , soaring health care costs and an underfunded public pension scheme .
A lot of which will be taken out by caymanians operating fake shell companies in money making schemes.
Stop bashing our wonderful premier as he is doing the best for Cayman. All you arm chair premiers only can talk but not one has the responsibilities and pressures that the Honorable Premier must face each and every day. If it is so horrible here with our current elected goverment than please load up and go somewhere else.
Our “wonderful Premier”
1. Never admits when he is wrong.
2. Refuses to listen to dissenting voices.
3. Places power over improvement.
4. Has totally broken an already ailing public education system.
5. Encourages permits and PR for all which is destroying the Caymanian middle class.
6. Is importing poverty in droves.
7. Refuses to implement mechanisms for upskilling the local workforce.
8. Has enabled a runaway cost of living and does nothing to abate it.
9. Has burdened us with substantial increased civil service expenses.
10. Has overseen a collapse of infrastructure (traffic anyone?).
…
Please stop drinking the cool aid.
We ain’t going anywhere else.
We are the Caymanian people who the premier is supposed to be serving.
I think you forgot to add No.11 – Has become subservient to Dart
You sound delusional and are part of the problem.
Shut up twins
Register To Vote
Why do we need 41,000 work permits issued?? If CIG knows we have a traffic and housing crisis then why are they continuing to allow large numbers to keep coming?? Just halt immigration for a while, countries have done it before! Give Caymanians a chance!!
There’s nothing racist or discriminatory about halting immigration if that’s what CIG is concerned about. We’re just simply a small island that would REALLY struggle with 100,000 people. I can’t even imagine how the place would look with so many people, there’s not enough room, simple as that!
Then business will move overseas when they can’t find more employees. That mean rental market will collapse and caymanians will lose out.
I agree in some sectors, but given what is happening it is a little far fetched to assume Caymanians are the landlords. The reality is that too many Caymanians are so removed from the economic miracle, fewer and fewer give a crap as to what happens to landlords. Give a choice and many would be happy to see rents come down…
we’re running out of room, maybe we should build a skyscraper to put them all in, like Dart wanted. Will save in space
Come down 2021. Caymanian don’t forget please !!
35000 work permits and the number of Caymanians unemployment continue to increase daily, causing Caymanian Homes to be taken by greedy banks and Caymanian families more disarray?
Who is going to stand for us Caymanian our Government is clueless and couldn’t care less about us.
There is absolutely no need for Caymanians to be unemployed in 2019. Out of the 1,038 unemployed Caymanians, most of those are either completely unemployable or just do not want to work and make money from the ‘black economy’.
The fact is, many Caymanians think themselves to be above doing manual labour and it is this attitude which undermines the sympathetic nonsense you are trying to provoke.
Life is easy for you because your probly just another tax evader hiding your I’ll gotten gains and doing money laundering behind closed doors..😅
Let’s correct the spelling and grammar to help you find a job.
your = you’re
probly = probably
I’ll = ill
😅yeah and give me a kiss while you’re at it internet gangster!!😘 I don’t have money or job issues so don’t make yourself look dumb boo boo😘😘
It’s not an easy situation on this island. Construction companies are building high end homes purely for the $$$$ and these homes are directed to the wealthy people of this island and more wealthier from overseas. The Government, like the U.K. can step in and stop this greedy market. They are the ones in control and should ensure homes are built that are affordable to the ever growing Caymanian population. No working class person can afford a $million plus property. I think there are enough multi million $ properties here as it is. As for the work permits, I’m afraid that these are necessary in order to construct not only homes and commercial projects, but to keep this islands economy booming as it currently is. There aren’t enough Caymanians educated to the standard required for these projects. This, in part, is due to the CIG not investing into the Education system to ensure their own people are able to develop their skills. The other part is due to many Caymanian’s attitude of not wanting to get out of bed in the morning to do a days work. No one owes you a living. You have to get out there and learn from the ground up. You cannot get a top job at 16yrs of age with lack of education.
A big part of that “Cayman stereotype” is that we have lost many of our best and brightest to better offers in other countries. We have two generations that were told that if they did well in school and worked hard in college they would be able to get a good paying job and have a decent quality of life. They did this (myself included) and came home to little opportunity and little future, so many of them left. I’ve tried to stick it out but 8 years later I still cant afford a house while my friends who emigrated have long since surpassed me, many of whom work in lower skill fields that I do.
The simple fact is that when other countries are offering our best a better life than they can have here we cant be surprised when all that’s left are the dregs.
This is nonsense!! Most companies prefer highly qualified Caymanians – no work permit fees etc,. Salaries here are well above what you would achieve in the US or U.K., and although the cost of living is higher, you don’t pay any income tax…
If I am wrong, answer me this. If it is so bad, why are there so many highly qualified expats here?
What companies offer the expat and what companies offer the Caymanian are often disproportionately biased against the Caymanian. (This accounts for same level of professional qualifications and position).
Its about to get alot more expensive to live in Cayman in the next 5-10 years
Cayman people need to stand up now, stop this bull , school children 65%, can’t even past there exams, but we are given permits for persons to clean over beaches, o sorry we need the money for hand outs, paying rent, light, water and supporting most of there drug habits. So most of our politicians can get relected over and over. We need a clean slate now ,.let’s get of in the streets and demand them to step down, real talk.
I guess you were educated here in a government school? We really need to fix our education system so that Caymanians can write with the correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. A must for jobs in most sectors.
…great news. remember we didn’t come here to take part…we came to take over.
Sorry, the Jamaicans have beaten you too it.
they’ve taken over nothinh.
Wow! That’s a lot of WPs. I believe that we enjoy a symbiosis with many of the WP holders — they benefit, and we do also. Still, 41,000 is a giant chunk of the future population. It isn’t the fault of the WP holders. We should be able to absolutely eliminate unemployment in the Cayman Islands before we take on a single work permit.
I know we have people that are difficult to employ. Others that work in cycles. I get all that. I think we could take the unemployment ratio down to the wire, and I think we need to do it.
If I were leader, I would push hard for an elevating of the minimum wage, and extend that into CIG also.
There are 1,038 unemployed Caymanians – how many of those simply do not want to work or are unemployable? – Vast majority I bet!!
If trade schools were available from the get go that number would drop and some of these people could have mental or physical health issues or what ever problem they have but expats like yourself don’t understand anything about what’s going on in the cayman islands you just want to spread hate and racism..
There are already 30,000 on work permits, 5,000 with PR and 5,000 dependents. That means 40,000 expats live here, but the government does not count 10,000 of them. The incompetence is dangerous.
It is, but even worse, it is dishonest. They know their numbers are crap, but keep repeating them as fact.
Thought you were speaking of the port for a moment there.
1. Register to vote.
2. Vote No!
Need to put a cap on rentals for locals. There is no reason rent in a safe area for a young single woman should be three quarters of my salary. Thinking about emigrating…
Blame your government. The consequences of their actions were plainly foreseeable and they have chosen to do nothing. Hundreds of Caymanians have already had to leave – economically exiled from their own country by diminishing opportunities and spiraling cost of living.
Every area of Cayman should be safe. It was, not so long ago. Please try to get on the property ladder, even if just a small share with a group of friends. It is the only way to get ahead.
same, rent is unsustainable. I have just had to accept that if current trends continue I will never be able to afford a home, I’m just going to have to rent for the rest of my life.
Planning on moving to the UK in 2021 if things don’t change in 2020. At least there I would have access to the NHS and other public services like transportation. Sadly if I want a decent quality of life I cant remain in the land of my ancestors.
You won’t be able to buy a property there either!!
Plenty of cheap properties, depending where you want to live
find another young lady and share. Pretty much everyone in the world has to share an apartment with a stranger at some point in their life.
Because you shouldn’t have to live within your means as a local right?!
Sure, but i can find a better quality of life elsewhere. When I got back from university I went strati to work and have been working since. Even when the first company I was working for went out of business I no one was hiring for my skill set I worked at the grocery store pushing carts and stocking shelves and everyday I sent out CV’s and responded to every add I could find. After a year I was finally able to move on from them to what i thought was a decent. But guess what? I still cant afford a home.
But interestingly engineering centers in the UK are willing to pay me more (and I would get access to the NHS and decent public transportation) than anyone here has been willing to pay me. My families been here continuously for 10 generations but I cant afford to live here if these trends continue.
Guess I just don’t work hard enough huh?
This is the best comment on here real facts!
That should be for all, not just locals.
Everyone wants some of our paradise
Face it folks we are now the envy of the world.
No. We just think we are.
The unity team are playing government. Time to clean them out in 2021.
…mostly hinged to a compliant Financial Services Industry, 75% of GDP, bending every which way to comply with ever-changing governance directives, while ignoring the non-compliance of a redactive regime purportedly running the show via non-debate private caucus meetings. Oh, the irony Cayman. If you don’t think business continuity is linked to good governance, then we are living in a fantasy world, deserving of the wake up call that is brewing.
Quick. Let’s grant thousands more people status and PR without any proper vetting. That will mean less work permits, and we can keep the public fooled until the next election
Explosive growth and dilution will be our undoing. This government’s greed will relegate us to the trash heap of the Caribbean.
GC basically IS the trash heap of the Caribbean!
More cultural diversity as if we don’t already have enough of it.
CLUELESS…
Inept. Incapable of simple math, and no clue what they are doing.
Mediocre begets mediocrity.