The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition positioning job creation as a central pillar of its campaign platform and a critical test of real economic progress. The coalition is promising to create full-time employment for tens of thousands of Guyanese within its first term in office, should it win the upcoming September 1 General and Regional Elections.
In a no-nonsense press statement, the coalition accused the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government of overseeing economic growth without ensuring that development reaches ordinary citizens.
Despite Guyana’s record-breaking Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, driven primarily by oil revenues, the APNU coalition argues that many Guyanese remain unemployed or underemployed.
Since oil production began in 2019, GDP has surged dramatically: from US$5.17 billion in 2019 to US$5.47 billion in 2020, US$8.04 billion in 2021, US$14.72 billion in 2022, US$16.92 billion in 2023, and a staggering US$24.66 billion in 2024. Yet, the coalition contends this rapid economic expansion has failed to translate into widespread job creation or improved living standards, leaving thousands of citizens excluded from the country’s newfound wealth.
Guyana is ranked as the world’s fastest growing and wealthiest emerging economy, but nearly half of its population continues to live in poverty, according to a World Bank report. “Economic growth is not fuelling economic development and shared prosperity,” the statement noted, referencing a 2024 World Bank estimate that placed youth unemployment at 22.3%.
However, local analysts estimate youth unemployment to be closer to 40%, with actual poverty levels affecting more than half the population—figures they attribute to unreliable and inconsistent data collection. The coalition also pointed out that adult unemployment and under-employment remain stubbornly high.
The coalition criticised what it described as the PPP’s “haphazard approach to national development,” arguing that the government has failed to address barriers to employment such as skills mismatches, lack of training, systemic discrimination, poor access to transportation and housing, and limited dissemination of job vacancy information.
In response, APNU unveiled a 10-point Job Creation Plan that it says will achieve near full employment by the end of its first term in government. Among the key goals:
- Create over 40,000 full-time jobs for the currently unemployed, while transitioning more than 15,000 part-time workers into permanent employment.
- Award thousands of small contracts annually in sectors such as street building, housing, sanitation, community beautification, and maintenance projects.
- Launch large-scale infrastructure projects including coast-to-hinterland and inter-regional highways, with a mandate that foreign contractors hire significant numbers of Guyanese workers.
- Expand the public service workforce in education, healthcare, childcare, and elderly care to address critical service gaps.
- Stimulate private sector growth by reducing business taxes and establishing a Development and Investment Bank to provide affordable credit.
- Double support for micro and small businesses through grants and soft loans.
- Provide affordable, accessible training for skills development, including re-skilling and up-skilling initiatives.
- Revamp the GOAL scholarship programme and collaborate with the University of Guyana to align academic output with development needs and job readiness.
- Lower the tax burden on self-employed individuals to enable reinvestment and business growth.
- Strengthen local content legislation and ensure strict enforcement to protect and prioritize Guyanese workers.
“We believe that Guyanese must not only have jobs, but must have jobs that are well-paying, match their skills, and allow them to live with dignity and purpose,” the coalition said.
The APNU is asking voters to support what it described as a bold and inclusive employment vision, arguing that every Guyanese who is able and willing to work deserves a fair chance.
