The USVI Needs More People: Bryan Laments Chronic Worker Shortage Delaying Disaster Recovery Projects
Full employment, as defined by the Brookings Institute, occurs when an economy cannot add any more jobs without risking unwelcome inflation. Elsewhere, it is described as a scenario where everyone who wants to work is already employed. Many economists define a society which has reached full, or maximum employment, as one where the jobless rate is around 5 percent or below.
2023-09-05 14:22:25 - VI News Staff
Unemployment on St. Croix is 4 percent, and the number dips to 3.5 percent in the St. Thomas/St. John district, signaling an incredibly tight labor market. Employers are “scraping the bottom of the barrel” in the hunt for adequate staff to fill numerous vacancies, said Governor Albert Bryan Jr. at last Wednesday’s town hall meeting on St. Croix.
The lack of available workers has been a concern of the governor's for some time. Earlier this year, he had even hinted that an influx of unauthorized immigrant workers would be welcome, stating in an interview with the Consortium in January that he’s not inclined to pay close scrutiny to the status of those who arrive in the territory looking for an opportunity to benefit from the construction boom.
Last Wednesday, Mr. Bryan tied the severe labor shortage to the slow pace of progress on several infrastructure projects. He lauded the several projects currently underway, particularly with regards to housing, but stressed that this is only a dent in the immense volume of work yet to be tackled. “We still have at least three or four more developments to do, and 200 hurricane repairs to do, and another 200 houses for St. Croix alone. We don’t have the people to build these things. We need to find people.”