A total of 1,280 employment permits were issued last year, out of 1,367 requests (see related story). However, 29 were for changes of positions and 620 for renewals, which means that vacancy ads must be placed but in practice there usually isn’t an actual opening.
Still, 427 first-time requests for a relatively small community is significant and confirms that there continues to be a demand for labour that the local market apparently can’t fill. The biggest single category was adult entertainer, followed by security guards, maids, teachers and cooks.
One would think that, most of these being fairly low-skilled jobs, they could be done by persons who already live here with a bit of training, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. Perhaps some are not very attractive regarding conditions, benefits, etc., but they might – at least temporarily – be better than having no work and income at all.
Truthfully though, getting by on the minimum wage is a challenge and employers ought to realise that paying a bit more can in fact help create a stable personnel situation that may ultimately improve their business results. On the other hand, islanders should not act like being “from here-self” gives them special privileges regarding their professional careers.
At the same time, people need to be realistic about the nature of the tourism economy. It concerns the hospitality industry where providing service to visitors is the destination’s bread and butter.
The latter translates to jobs such as waiters, front desk staff, household personnel, beach attendants, security guards, cooks, taxi drivers and casino dealers, based on taking care of guests. Always keep in mind that any labour is in principle worthy and there’s nothing wrong with an honest day’s work.
