Employment - Haiti Observer Blog

On May 11, 2017: Haitian Workers Shut Down Industrial park SONAPI in Haiti, demanding higher wages. What did they want exactly? One, Their demanded a minimum wage adjustment from 350 Gourdes ($5.50 US) to 800 Gourdes ($12.60) per day. In addition, they want meals, transportation, housing subsidies. They also want that production quotas do not increase with the increased minimum wage.

Recent report would suggested that SONAPI as well as Caracol Industrial Parks have been doing very well. As per "Lenouvelliste'", production at Caracol Industrial Park increased by 154% for the third quarter (July-September 2014).

The real rate of unemployment in Haiti is around three quarters of the population despite the government record shows it at 40%.

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In Spring Valley, discrimination is well alive, specially against Haitians. The Newspaper Pennysaver has recently posted an ad placed by Interim Healthcare Inc. that clearly stated that no Haitians need to apply. Am I going back to the 1940s and 1950s when certain groups in America were clearly advised not to apply for a specific position?

The ad that appeared in a Pennysaver October 15th edition was made by Interim Healthcare Inc. and ironically, to be published in the Rockland County Pennysaver. The ad was for a female nursing position in West Haverstraw. This is by the way an area with a large Haitian population. "No Haitians" would be considered for employment according to the ad.

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Minister of Trade and Industry says Labor Code must be revised to spur Economic Growth

Minister of Trade and Industry, Jude Day, wants to see new laws on the books, supporting an increase in production of companies in technology, clothing manufacturing, and furniture-making sectors.

His visit to tablet maker, Surtab, impressed him with technological advances the company has made.

Day feels the labor code must be updated so these sectors can experience strong growth, making Haiti more competitive in the global market.

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Our government wants to remain true to its idea of of Job creation by increasing the number of Ministers and Secretaries in its Government. As a result of the new cabinet Reshuffle in Haiti, we now have more than 40, fully employed individuals; that is between Ministers and Secretaries of States.

Who said the the Government of Martelly-Lamothe doesn't believe in Job creation?

The business of Government or "Dirigen" in Haiti, leading the way to full employment in Haiti.

The government is likely to run into some problems with these new positions just created in the government. Where will the money come from to pay for this new positions? As a remark, the Executive increased the number of these ministers without the consultation of the Haitian Parliament.

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Investment and modernization are the two main keywords for economic development in Haiti. However, improving foreign direct investment and creating permanent employment in Haiti is not as simple as it sounds. The real unemployment rate at Haiti was never properly assessed. Among the unemployed, there are many adults who do not have any formal identification documents. There is no exact statistical data on the total size of Haitian labor force.

Many still consider investment in Haiti is a risky proposition. Political climate is not favorable, enacting new law in the country is almost impossible, transparency is rare, cost of transportation and energy is too high, goods remain static in the customs unnecessarily, ports are not work-efficient, and there are many more displeasing reasons.

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Do you think that the only way to be good to people is to give, give and give? That is not necessarily true in all cases. Sometimes you can both give and receive at the same time and still be good to people.

Would you believe that someone had managed to give some, receive some and somehow ended up doing a lot more good than otherwise?

This is actually the case of Thread, a recycling company that purchases tons of plastic recycling materials to spin into fabrics that are in turn sold to manufacturers hoping to create environmentally friendly products and at the same time empowering the people of Haiti.

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With a new approach to new businesses, the Haitian government hopes that doing business in the country will be easier and more efficient. The government has been taking steps in adjusting the country's business system with a new proactive approach. It aims to help smooth out the process of starting a business in Haiti, as well as attract more investors to boost the economy. Unnecessary bureaucratic requirements that prolong the process of doing a business will also be scrapped with the new approach.

This approach applies to industrial and commercial companies that employ a maximum of 50 workers. The companies that have a capital that is 10 times Haiti's per-capita gross national income are the ones covered in this approach.

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Caracol, a village in Haiti, is located in the Nord-Est Deparment which is a municipality in the Trou-du-Nord Arrondissement. At 19°41′0″N and 72°1′0″W it is located at a slight elevation and has around 6236 inhabitants. It is the least visited destination in Haiti.
Caracol is in the northern coast of Haiti and it was a fishing village stricken by poverty. It is also known to be poorest of all villages in the country.

Climate

The region is mountainous and rough and it borders with the Dominican Republic for around 360 kms. Caracol enjoys a semi arid and tropical climate. Trade winds are easily cut off by the mountains in the region. French is the official language spoken in Caracol.

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Men and women hold certain jobs in Haiti. This is because there are jobs wherein women are not allowed in and there are jobs that are solely for them. For instance, men dominate the labor and business market. They are allowed to work as laborers, mechanics, construction workers, and chauffeurs. Even if women are starting to achieve higher class professions, it is still men who often get jobs in schools, politics and medicine. Most school directors, pastors, and spiritual and herbal healers are also men. They are also responsible for livestock and garden care at households.

Women, on the other hand, are more associated with domestic tasks, including cooking and washing clothes. They also kind of dominate the health care sector, where almost all nurses are female. Women are also relied on when it comes to marketing and entrepreneurship. They are active in the fish, green produce and tobacco business industries.

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Opening ceremonies for Caracol Industrial Park (CIP) occurred on October 22, 2012. Michel Martelly, President of Haiti, hosted some of the biggest backers of northern Haiti's first industrial park, projected to eventually produce nearly 200,000 jobs. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, along with her husband, President Bill Clinton, presided over a crowd of investors and celebrities.

Haiti, the U.S., and the Inter-American Development Bank have donated a combined total of $464 million over the next six years. Other foundation and business donors are contributing to the development of Haiti's infrastructure.

Secretary Rodham-Clinton spoke before a lunch reception crowd. She told them that contributing to the sustained economic health of Haiti goes beyond sending relief aid to the earthquake-damaged island. On-going private investment in the infrastructure and economic initiatives to provide Haitians a better quality of life are key to raising Haiti out of its failed-state status. She said that although CIP was already in the planning stages before the 2010 earthquake shattered the country's infrastructure and economy, already feeble, the Obama administration has placed Haiti high on its priority list. The U.S. has followed through with a $124 million investment in CIP.

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