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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 4TH JULY 2017
Question
Following the publication of the Jersey resident population estimate 2016, will the Chief Minister publish a breakdown by employment sector of the 200 net licensed employees and dependants along with the 1,100 registered employees and dependants who comprise the inward migrants in 2016 alongside average earnings by sector and state whether the figures support his government's stated aim to grow the high-skill, high-earning sectors of the economy thereby increasing tax revenues to support the economy?
Answer
This information is not collated by the Statistics Unit as part of the production of "Jersey Resident Population 2016 Estimate". However, a breakdown of employment by residential status and sector is published in the "Jersey Labour Market" Report for December, 2016; and earnings by sector are available in "Average Earnings Index", as also published by the Statistics Unit. This is extensive and valuable statistical data.
As to whether the results align with strategies, the focus of our population policies, as clearly outlined in the Strategic Plan, is to secure migration that is targeted and delivers the greatest economic and social value.
It is clear that employment growth in 2016 occurred most strongly in two sectors – construction, and private education, health, and other services, and these are priority sectors.
Construction has a GVA of £51,000 per worker, which is the fourth most productive sector of our economy, and delivers vital improvements in housing, office space, and infrastructure on which to build future productivity improvements; and private education, health, and other services delivers social value as our society ages and we need more workers in our care sector.
Furthermore, it is not the case that growth in registered workers does not support productivity growth – many registered workers are employed in high value businesses, including in the financial services sector, and other sectors which employ registered workers are seeking to grow their profits and productivity. Indeed, productivity is a challenge that most economies face, and Jersey needs to approach this challenge in many ways, in particular through skills and education, and not just through migration flows.