Hello! Are You Listening To That Sucking Sound?

We know how much people get excited by buzz words and phrases, hearing them and using them. Nothing like throwing out a little metaphor. It often may not apply but it's good for a sound bite (as you see). So, today I was struck when I read that the PM was telling workers that "it is imperative that we think outside the box". His basic message is that workers have to give a good day's work for a day's pay, while not forgetting that people are often the best resource of any business.

To me, it's taken a long time for the message to be sent to the Bajan population that the world has changed dramatically, especially in terms of what life will be like after this recession. Favours have not been given for a long while. But one of the issues that is always a conundrum is how in a world of rising unemployment and rising job losses people can act in their work as if they will keep their job even if they are really doing nothing to justify the pay and time they are given. So, when I read the papers today I had to scratch my head and ask if the PM has just had it.

In economics circles, people have been talking about 'a jobless recovery' for some time. Today, when weekly initial jobless and continuing claims data for the US were released, the expectations were for an increase in the former and a reduction in the latter. So it was: the Labor Department reported that initial applications for jobless benefits rose to 531,000 last week, topping the average analyst estimate by 16,000. That's a new 1/2 million people out of work (double Barbados' population)! Continuing unemployment claims declined by 98,000 to 5.92m in the week ending October 2 (See Financial Times). That's about the number of people in the English-speaking Caribbean without a job! Many Americans have seen their jobless benefits expire and are waiting for government legislation that could extend payments.

But do workers in Barbados realise what all of that means for them as some clearly lolly gag along?

The PM has touched the point I have made before, which is that "We who live in developing countries may very soon read and hear of a world economic recovery, while large numbers of our workers remain idle." I have gone further by saying that the recovery may go ahead and local economic activity is not really getting back on that train. I'm glad for for the reality check from on high. But who is listening and prepared to make the changes?