Barbudans will not be counted in labour force survey

Barbudans will not be counted when the Statistics Division will hold its Second Labour Force Survey in upcoming weeks.

Project Manager of the Labour Force Survey, Tracelyn Joseph told local media that Barbudans will not be included in the survey because statisticians believe that residents there have been too displaced to give a proper account to the labour force. After the forcible evacuation of Barbudans to Antigua following the passage of the Category 5 plus Hurricane Irma one year ago.

“Because of the displaced population Barbuda would not be in this round, some are still here so because of how the sample was designed we would have had six enumeration districts from over there and that is not the case right now so we have left them out of the sample so that next year they will be back in the sample,” she said.

The survey will be conducted to collect data on the adult population at least 15 years and older who may be in the labour force whether employed or unemployed in the island nation.

This will be the first time when a computer-assisted personal interviewer will be used.

Joseph said the survey will also put an end to politicising of the labour market statistics.

“When you have the labour force survey you have evidence-based data. So, the data produced by the respondent is the quality data on unemployment rate, the labour market composition and characteristics, the housing and income which are essentially evidence for economic and social development,” she added.

Antigua and Barbuda will be conducting the survey between mid-October into November 2018.