But Brave doubts that the numbers are true....................... ah well

Someone asked me if these people talk in the Cabinet meetings or whether they're distracted working to screw the Bahamian people the whole time. Brave Davis doubts the numbers calling everyone at Dept of Stats incompetent, Michael Halkitis blames new entrants to job market (go figure I would assume any job creation plan accounted for new entrants...but anyway) and Shane Gibson is not surprised

That building on jfk ain't worth $20 million even if it was built with $100 bills

Was it not Mr. Gibson who last year said that the PLP had created jobs due to the uptick in NI payments?

And .... do you believe a word he says????????????

30,000 new jobs to be specific, and PGC appointed this guy Minister of Labour...

Another loud mouthed, do nothing crooked ex-union leader.... the government is full of them now

Don't know what Brave is doubting! Ex labour man Shane knows what's up. Even if it's embarrassing to the PLP.

According to the Department of Statistics there were, in 2012, 91,660 persons between the ages of 5 and 19. It has been said that there are over 70,000 in school. Those 70,000 will all be looking for jobs over the next 15 years as they come out of school (4666 per year).
It is estimated that that 1,800 to 2,000 leave the work force each year. That means that we have to create some 2500 new jobs each year just to keep up with the current unemployment levels. That is 12,500 or 2 Baha Mar's every 5 years.
Thus in 2012 the government was faced with 27,000 or 28,000 out of work. They pledged to create 10,000 jobs but it was clear that on top of the 10,000 they needed to create an additional 12,500 for a total of 22,500 new jobs. That's a new Atlantis and a Baha Mar and more. Has that happened?
No surprise is right!

I get where you're going but I don't buy it. It "sounds" logical. **but**, population trends should be a well known factor, therefore IF the government had an employment plan it would account for the actual number of persons seeking jobs and not the fantasy number they would like in a perfect world. They can't claim to have done their job and ask us to just exclude population growth in our assessment. That said there is a need for family planning +50% unmarried mothers is way too high.

You are absolutely correct. Glad that you have raised the point. The discussion goes something like this. "If you, the church, don't like family planning , then you should pay for all the prenatal care." "Sure" they say. "And You, the church should pay for the delivery and hospital costs." Again they agree. But ask them to pay the cost of the extra school rooms. Well, they decide you are asking them to do to much. Suggest that if the young woman had not had the child that she would not be using Social Services, and would have a better job because she would have finished school, and therefore would not need low cost housing which the Government (we the people) has to pay for so they the church should build the house. And remind them that they need to build the roads to the house and lay the pipes for the water erect power poles, and lines, for the electricity. And the church will say that you are being unreasonable.
But government (any of them so far) is also responsible for not telling the people that they can't reduce unemployment in a meaningful way if they continue to run the country as they do.

ThisisOurs is correct. We need a new approach to our economy. Stafford Sands is died a long time ago. He had a great vision for about 20 years out; but that vision is old tired and worn out.

We talk about Singapore but are not prepared to do what they did. We are xenophobic so would never allow in foreigners from whom we could learn and milk for ideas; use their connections to bring investment.

We would never let our Permanent Residents to start businesses. Remember, they did so well in their own country that they can afford to live here without working. If they have done well why don't we get them to improve our economy by saying that they could start a business but must employ at least two Bahamians. They are of an age where they would probably mentor their staff. They have already proved themselves so they won't be trying to keep anyone down.

We need to think out of the box. That is not the solution, but it may be a start to expand our economy.

Economist, what you say is true and we should be thinking outside the box. Unfortunately in the forty odd years since Majority rule we still haven't gotten over our no more white massa in control phobia, not to mention our own home grown black crab syndrome, for Bahamians as a whole to embrace such forward thinking.
We continue to live in hope.

I've finished BTVI in December 2014 with a degree in IT Management. Even though i've been looking for work during my last semester but couldn't find any. Now its the new year and I am unable to start a career in IT when living in my own country. How are we youths suppose to gain experience in the workforce is they are not giving us a chance to? Explain that? No wonder when we go to college abroad the majority of us do not return to the Bahamas because the Bahamas has nothing to offer them so what are we coming back to and what for?