SVG ranked as lowest-paying country in region

The results of the Pay Pulse 2023 Caribbean Salary Survey have painted a bleak picture of salary compensation in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

Out of the 15 countries surveyed, SVG ranked as the lowest-paying country in the region with 73.3 per cent of salaries falling below the regional average.

The second annual Caribbean salary report was conducted by the Caribbean Society for Human Resource Professionals (CSHRP)and officially released at a launch event at the National Export-Import Bank of Jamaica (EXIM Bank) in Jamaica on November 22.

Thirty job roles were surveyed for the report across 26 industries including Legal, Finance, Digital Media, Information Technology, Office Management and Customer Service. The selection of roles was determined based on a poll conducted among last year’s survey respondents.

Barbados emerged as the highest-paying country in the Caribbean, with 53.3 per cent of surveyed jobs exceeding market value, while Antigua and Barbuda was ranked second with 16.7 per cent of jobs paying above market value. Jamaica followed closely behind at 13.3 per cent.

The survey has been described as the most current and comprehensive resource available in the region and Chief Executive Officer of CSHRP Rochelle James noted that most of the data collected in the past was usually centred on the US and the UK.

James said the organisation is committed to conducting the survey annually, gathering data between January and October and releasing in November.

“Historically, surveys about the region use no more than 12-13 companies; for this year, we worked with 117 companies …”.

The survey is an employer-based one and comprised of three sections – general employer information, recruitment challenges and compensation for key positions.