Labour force survey being conducted

The Statistical Office of the Ministry of Economic Planning, Sustainable Development, Industry, Information and Labour is this month conducting a Labour Force Survey in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

Enumerators are currently in the field conducting the “Listing” exercise within the areas selected to be in the sample. During this phase, the enumerators will count all the buildings, dwellings, households and persons within their designated area. The households which will form part of the sample will then be randomly selected.

The public is being advised that the information collected is highly critical to the Government of SVG, as it is integral in providing urgent information to address the unemployment situation, which is of concern to all.

The main purpose of the labour force survey is to measure the size of the economically active population, with the view of providing guidance in the formulation and implementation of labour-market policies and programs.

The specific objectives of the LFS include: assessing levels of unemployment in the country so that job creation efforts could be accelerated; measuring the size of the employed population both in the formal and informal sectors; measuring income levels among Paid Employees, Self-Employed and Employers; provide employment estimates by occupation, industry, status in employment and much more.

“The success of the Labour Force Survey in accurately capturing employment status depends on the full cooperation of the public. Persons are reminded that the work of the Statistical Office is conducted under the authority of the Census and Statistics Act, No. 24 of 1983. The public is therefore assured that information provided to the Statistical Office is strictly confidential and would only be disseminated at the aggregate level,” a release from the Agency for Public Information said.

The Oath of Secrecy, which is administered to each interviewer before commencement of duties, also guarantees the public that information given would not be revealed. Anyone violating this oath can be prosecuted and upon conviction, these persons can be jailed.

The Statistical Office is soliciting the full support and cooperation from the general public, especially the households selected for interviewing. Your positive response to completing the questionnaire accurately and to the best of your knowledge is important to the overall success of the survey. The information provided will positively impact the development of our country.