A recent opinion poll conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) shows 22% of respondents, one in four, saying that they have trouble feeding themselves and their families. This comes as rampant inflation and rising unemployment create the perfect storm of misery for working-class Guyanese. The January poll is part of an ongoing electoral reform project being conducted by the IRI.
Over the past 2 years, unemployment has increased with about 5,000 jobs being lost over the period. 2021 saw a 4% reduction in sugar production, 20% reduction in rice production, 3.8% reduction in Bauxite and a 14.8% reduction in gold production in addition to other downturns. The sharp contraction in non-oil sectors leaves Guyana with a total of 42,000 persons unemployed and in search of work, according to the 2021 third quarter Guyana Labour Force Survey published by the Bureau of Statistics.
Making matters worse, Guyana is currently seeing the worst inflation in decades. Food prices rose a whopping 11% in 2021. The high inflation is set to continue in 2022 with the recent 15% increase in the price of flour adding to the skyrocketing cost of living.
As salaries continue to have less and less purchasing power, many continue to call on the government to increase the wages and salaries of public servants and give meaningful increases to public assistance programs and pensions. Pensions for 2022 were increased by a pitiful 3,000 and the increase to date has not been paid.
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