The Private Sector Commission’s (PSC) claim that unemployment in Guyana is “largely voluntary” is not just laughable, it is an insult to every hardworking citizen struggling to survive in an economy ravaged by skyrocketing food prices, stagnating wages, and corporate greed. At a time when families are being crushed by the rising cost of living, when food prices have soared by more than 80%, and when wages remain criminally low, the PSC’s statement to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is as tone-deaf as it is dishonest.
For years, the PSC has fought against raising the private sector minimum wage from its disgraceful GYD $40,000. Today, private-sector workers still earn a meager GYD $60,000 per month, roughly $300 USD, for more than 40 hours of work a week. In an oil-rich economy with billions flowing in, this is nothing short of slave wages. A month’s salary in the private sector is barely enough to buy groceries for a family, let alone cover rent, transportation, utilities, and healthcare. While Guyana’s economy booms on paper, the reality for its workers is one of relentless struggle.
Yet, despite these harsh conditions, the PSC has the audacity to claim that unemployment is a choice. It is not a choice when the jobs available do not pay a livable wage. It is not a choice when working full-time still leaves families hungry and desperate. It is not a choice when people refuse to be exploited for pennies while corporate executives and business owners amass fortunes off their backs. The real problem is not that workers are unwilling, it is that employers refuse to pay them fairly.
The PSC’s hypocrisy is glaring. They lament a shortage of skilled workers but refuse to acknowledge that low wages are driving talent away. They celebrate economic growth but resist any efforts to ensure that this wealth reaches the people who need it most. While they tell the IMF that businesses are struggling to find workers, the truth is that businesses are refusing to pay what workers deserve. If wages were fair, people would work. Instead, they are expected to survive on paychecks that are rapidly losing value due to inflation, forcing them to choose between buying food and paying bills.
The cost-of-living crisis in Guyana is not an exaggeration. Food prices have spiraled out of control. The price of staples such as rice, flour, and cooking oil has nearly doubled. Housing is increasingly unaffordable, with rent and homeownership slipping out of reach for minimum-wage earners. Transportation costs have surged, making it even harder for low-income workers to afford the basic expense of getting to and from work. And yet, businesses refuse to adjust wages to reflect this harsh reality. Instead, they blame workers for not accepting poverty wages, while they continue to enjoy the spoils of an oil-driven economic windfall.
What the PSC conveniently ignores is that unemployment is not the problem, poverty wages are. The private sector wants a cheap, desperate workforce, one that is forced to work under exploitative conditions just to survive. They want workers who will accept GYD $60,000 a month without complaint, even as that money buys less and less. The PSC’s statement is not about addressing unemployment; it is about justifying their greed. They do not want to acknowledge that wages must rise because it would mean slightly lower profit margins for the wealthy elite who control these industries.
There is no shortage of workers in Guyana. There is, however, a shortage of fair wages, ethical business practices, and corporate accountability. If the PSC truly cared about workforce development, they would advocate for higher wages, stronger labor protections, and better working conditions. Instead, they perpetuate a system where workers are expected to endure economic suffering while a privileged few hoard the wealth.
The PSC’s statement to the IMF is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to shift blame away from the private sector’s refusal to pay fair wages. It is an insult to the dignity of every Guyanese worker who wakes up every day trying to make ends meet in an economy where their labor is undervalued and their voices are ignored. The real question is, how much longer will the Guyanese people tolerate this exploitation? How much longer will they be told that their struggle is their own fault while those in power refuse to change the very system that keeps them in poverty?
Until businesses are forced to respect their workers, Guyana’s economic growth will remain a hollow illusion, one where the rich get richer, and the rest are left to fight for survival.
