THE BARBADOS LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION SYSTEM

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THE BARBADOS LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION SYSTEM

• Knowledge is power. Information is liberating.
• Kofi Annan
• Seventh secretary-general of the United Nations

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INTRODUCTION

• Globalization has changed the realities of
  developing countries
• Provides opportunities for growth and development
• Creates the need to be more internationally
  competitive

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INFORMATION
Stresses the importance of the Barbados Labour
Market Information System (BLMIS) to better equip
all decision makers in the labour market with
RELEVANT, TIMELY, ACCURATE information.
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WHAT REALLY IS THE BLMIS?
The BLMIS is a network where LMI producers
users interact
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WHAT REALLY IS THE BLMIS?

• A LMIS is defined as a set of institutional
  arrangements, procedures and mechanisms that are
  designed to co-ordinate the collection,
  processing, storage, retrieval and dissemination
  of Labour market Information. (Mangozho, ILO)

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STRUCTURE OF PRESENTATION

• Introduce the primary LMI producers
• Highlight the LMI users
• Explain the institutional arrangements that exist
  in the BLMIS
• Highlight challenges to the development of the
  BLMIS
• Make recommendations to enhance the BLMIS.

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LMI PRODUCTIONKey LMI Producers

• Barbados Statistical Services
• Population Housing Census
• Continuous Labour Force Sample Survey (CLFSS)
• Produces key LMI indicators such as participation
  unemployment rates.
• Information is disaggregated by Gender, Age,
  Occupation, Industry etc.
• Survey of Employees, Earnings and Hours (SEEH)
• Survey of Labour Cost Wages (SLCW)

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LMI PRODUCTIONKey LMI Producers Contd

• Barbados Investment Development Corporation
• Employment figures for Manufacturing, Information
  Services Professional/Technical Services
• Labour Department
• Industrial Relations
• Occupational Safety Health
• Employment Services

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LMI PRODUCTIONKey LMI Producers Contd

• Immigration Department
• Work Permits
• National Insurance Department
• Social Security Information
• Barbados National Productivity Council
• Productivity Indicators

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LMI PRODUCTIONKey LMI Producers Contd

• Ministry of Education and Training Institutions
• Education Statistics
• Research Agencies
• University of the West Indies
• SALISES
• Central Bank of Barbados
• Ministry of Labour

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DISSEMINATION OF LMI

• Primarily available in hard copy
• Primarily disseminated at the policy and
  enterprise level
• Limited availability on the internet

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LMI USERS
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LMI USERS ContdPOLICY APPLICATIONS

• The BLMIS supports the Ministry of Labour effort
  to achieve its mission
• To assist the Government and its Social Partners
  in promoting opportunities for the provision of
  decent and productive work, in conditions of
  freedom of association, equity, security and
  human dignity and to provide quality social and
  economic benefits for Barbadians.

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INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

• The Ministry of Labour acts as the coordinating
  agency that would manage the flow of information
  between LMI producers and users.
• Manpower Research and Statistical Unit (MRSU) is
  responsible for managing and developing the
  BLMIS.

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MORE ABOUT THE MRSU

• Established in 1981 as the research arm of the
  Ministry of Labour
• Restructured to manage and co-ordinate the BLMIS
  in 1999
• Was directed to compile LMI from the various
  producers and disseminate it more effectively to
  the LMI users.

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BLMIS PRODUCTS

• Hard Copy Publications
• Statistical Bulletins Digests
• Features key LMI from the various producers
• Provides analysis on developments in the labour
  market.
• Newsletters
• The Barbados Standard Occupational Classification
  System (BARSOC)
• Public Outreach Activities

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BLMIS PRODUCTS Contd

• The BLMIS Website
• Found at www.labour.gov.bb
• First launched in 1998
• Act as an electronic clearing house of labour
  information and statistics.
• Currently being restructured and upgraded.
• Expected relaunch in July, 2009

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THE LMIAC

• Was managed by the MRSU
• Tripartite in structure
• Consisted of LMI producers and users
• Provided feedback on the BLMIS website and made
  recommendations on how to enhance the BLMIS

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THE CLMIS PROJECT

• Was a major developmental stage for the BLMIS
• Provided technical assistance and initial funding
  for building and enhancing the capacity for the
  production and use of labour market information
  in various Caribbean countries.

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OUTPUTS FROM CLMIS PROJECT

• Enhancement of the CLFSS
• Updating of the BARSOC
• Enhancement of the national productivity
  indicators

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OUTPUTS FROM CLMIS PROJECTContd

• Enhancement of the Quarterly Survey of
  Employment, Earnings and Hours (SEEH)
• Introduction of the Annual Survey of Labour Cost
  and Occupational Wage Rates
• Development of a Barbados Labour Market
  Information Plan

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CHALLENGES TO LMIS

• Inadequate financial and human resources (Limits
  funding for technological developments,
  inadequate staffing)
• Poor response rate for surveys conducted
• Respondents do not recognize the importance of
  LMI
• Survey Fatigue

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CHALLENGES TO LMIS Contd

• Users are unaware of all the LMI available
• Inadequate co-operation and collaboration between
  producers
• The application of various classification systems
• Varying schedules for the release of LMI from
  various producers.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Institutional Strengthening of LMI producers
• Should involve detailed organizational analysis
• Increased use of available technologies e.g. The
  BLMIS Website
• Will feature an online statistical database
• Promotion and Training

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RECOMMENDATIONS Contd

• To restructure and reactivate the Labour Market
  Information Advisory Committee
• Must have a clear mandate
• Will support the implementation of previous
  recommendations
• Identify LMI gaps
• Support the development and implementation of
  labour market policies

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THE END

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