{"id":100618,"date":"2020-02-03T15:58:15","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T19:58:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=100618"},"modified":"2020-02-03T16:33:09","modified_gmt":"2020-02-03T20:33:09","slug":"opposition-leader-questions-govt-unemployment-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/opposition-leader-questions-govt-unemployment-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Opposition Leader Questions Gov’t Unemployment Numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Opposition Leader Jamal Pringle is questioning the rate of growth and unemployment figures outlined by Prime Minister Gaston Browne in his 2020 budget speech.<\/p>

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Pringle told the budget debate today that \u201cthere is no evidence in document to support the theme\u201d of the budget speech which is \u201cgrowth and development for the benefit of all.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have not seen any of these growth,\u201d he told the Lower House.<\/p>

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He said the 6.2 percent rate of growth measured in the economy last year \u201chas been beneficial to only a few persons.\u201d<\/p>

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During the budget speech prime minister Gaston Browne put the rate of unemployment at eight percent.<\/p>\n

However, the opposition leader argued that the number is a false misrepresentation of the actual rate of employment.<\/p>

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\u201cWhere outside of the public sector these permanent jobs have been created,\u201d Pringle asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is totally fabricated,\u201d he said adding that the \u201cminister has offered no credible evidence to support it.\u201d<\/p>

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He told the Lower House that the prime minister cannot continue to use social security registration to determine the rate of employment.<\/p>

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\u201cRegistration numbers are not employments numbers…it does not mean persons are employed or contributing,\u201d Pringle argued.<\/p>\n

He said people who are abroad and not paying Social Security are still on the register.<\/p>\n

According to the opposition leader, based on the scheme\u2019s own website, the number of active contributors is down.<\/p>\n

For the\u00a0 last three years include 37960, 350075, 34866 for 2017, 2018, 2019 respectively.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Opposition Leader Jamal Pringle is questioning the rate of growth and unemployment figures outlined by Prime Minister Gaston Browne in his 2020 budget speech. Pringle told the budget debate today that \u201cthere is no evidence in document to support the theme\u201d of the budget speech which is \u201cgrowth and development for the benefit of all. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":100621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nOpposition Leader Questions Gov't Unemployment Numbers - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/opposition-leader-questions-govt-unemployment-numbers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Opposition Leader Questions Gov't Unemployment Numbers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Opposition Leader Jamal Pringle is questioning the rate of growth and unemployment figures outlined by Prime Minister Gaston Browne in his 2020 budget speech. Pringle told the budget debate today that \u201cthere is no evidence in document to support the theme\u201d of the budget speech which is \u201cgrowth and development for the benefit of all. 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