Prime Minister Gaston Browne has declared that Antigua and Barbuda is operating at what he called "practically full employment," while simultaneously acknowledging that the country's labour market data is overdue for an update.
According to Antigua Observer, the matter came to light in Parliament when Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle questioned whether the government had conducted a labour market survey and, if so, when it was last carried out.
Browne's response drew attention to a tension at the heart of the government's employment narrative — a confident claim of near-full employment paired with an admission that the data underpinning such an assessment may no longer be current.
The lack of an up-to-date labour market survey raises questions about the statistical basis for the Prime Minister's characterisation of employment conditions in the twin-island nation. Opposition Leader Pringle's inquiry signals that Parliament is pressing the government for greater transparency and rigour in how it measures and reports on the state of the workforce.
As reported by Antigua Observer, no specific timeline for completing an updated labour survey was provided during the parliamentary exchange.
