Warning to bosses as unemployment climbs

Unemployment has climbed by around a quarter in Guernsey in the last year - at the end of 2010 the figure was 276 and it is now 367.

Social Security Minister Mark Dorey says the increase is "a concern" but adds that the overall level of unemployment compares favourably with almost all other countries.

Housing Minister Dave Jones has issued a reminder to all employers that they need to play their part by recruiting locally whenever possible. Deputy Jones says the Housing Department will rigorously scrutinise all applications for employment-related housing licenses.

He said: "I remind all employers that bringing guest workers to the Island - under any length of housing licence - should be seen as a last resort, only to be used when every effort to recruit locally has failed."

Deputy Jones says employers can not assume they will get a licence for a particular job just because they have had one in the past. And the Minister wants to see signs that where licences are issued, employers are using the period of the licence to train or recruit a local person to take over the job when the licence comes to an end.
(from CTV)

You can tell that there is an election coming up soon.

Are these people interviewed and assessed to determine what skills they have ( if any ) and what jobs they are capable of doing ? They could then be matched with suitable vacancies that occur. This would also find out how many are sponging.

I would like to see this done more rigorously in the UK, but with two million it is not really practical.

We have the 5th lowest unemployment on the planet, economist say that we are overemployed to the detriment of the economy.

The concept of over employment is an old right wing idea designed to keep the employed in fear of losing their jobs and therefore working harder. I agree that Guernsey's employment record is very good, but no harm in making it even better.

Sorry kingcoleman, but you are wrong again. Employment and wages work on supply and demand. With 100% employment, the staff can ask for unreasonable wage increases, just as high unemployment can make staff accept unreasonable pay cuts. The statistical balance figure is 5%.

if all the guest workers who are at present working in the retail industry were sent home there would be enough employment for locals...before anybody screams locals wont do the work that is a nonsense..they should have to take a job or lose benefits.

Thistle, that is just the reaction that they are after. Bashing the foreigners is always a good way to get a few votes, even though they know we can't do without them.

Thistle wrote:if all the guest workers who are at present working in the retail industry were sent home there would be enough employment for locals...before anybody screams locals wont do the work that is a nonsense..they should have to take a job or lose benefits.

Possibly right This', but you need to do the assessments first to ensure that the people on the unemployed list are capable and/or willing to fill the vancancies thus created. I think you may well find very few are.