Dear Editor,

Once again, workforce productivity has become the matter of the moment. But what does this even mean? And are we simply to believe the immiscible rhetoric aimed at convincing us that the only benefits to be derived from increasing our productivity are gross domestic product (GDP) growth, enhanced trade relationships, and improved economics?

What is evident from this current national discourse on productivity is that Jamaicans do not have a clear understanding of productivity and the transformation it could possibly have on the society. Paul Krugman in The Age of Diminishing Expectations noted that, “While productivity isn’t everything, in the long term, the output per worker influences a country’s ability to improve its standard of living.” The confounding challenges of modern Jamaican society mean that we must first reframe and rethink how we conceptualise productivity and then redefine the avenues that we take to establish a more productive society.

In 2018, Constant Lonkeng Ngouana from the International Monetary Fund said that labour productivity in Jamaica, based on the real value of what is produced in the economy, continued to decline. Similar sentiments were echoed by the Conference Board Total Economy, which reported an undesirable trend in Jamaica’s productivity per worker from US$23,654.56 in 1990 to US$20,076.14 in 2019.

And while it is widely acknowledged that Jamaica is grappling with a productivity crisis, the approaches to solving this problem must be driven by innovation and ingenuity. For example, we often lament on industries, including transportation and telecommunications, that impact our productivity levels. But the catalyst for productivity itself within these and other sectors is largely ignored, and this omission presents a growing crisis.

Time poverty is a significant disincentive for many Jamaican workers. Individuals do not have enough time for rest and leisure after working hours (whether spent in the labour market or doing household chores). If we canvassed most Jamaican workers, particularly women who are burdened with unpaid household labour, then we would be confronted with a workforce that is unmistakably time poor.

Time poverty affects national productivity directly and indirectly. The people who comprise the labour force experience unrelenting burnout which impacts their general health and well-being. Time poverty is a pervasive phenomenon and it is important that Jamaican policymakers begin to look at its impact on the nation’s productivity.

Inequity within the workplace is also another hindrance to productivity. Workplaces that do not consider adaptations for people living with disabilities are inequitable. Workplaces that do not have diversity and equal opportunity policies to respect the rights of marginalised individuals are inequitable. Workplaces that do not pay men and women equal pay for the same work are inequitable. Without a question, inequitable workplaces are a barrier to higher levels of productivity within our society since only a select few within the workforce are empowered, while the remaining workers, which are arguably the majority, remain underutilised in workspaces that have not invested in diversity initiatives.

Likewise, Jamaica’s culture around work is undeniably a barrier towards increased productivity. We often think of productivity as working hard, spending extra hours in the workplace, and labouring away at a desk doing a range of tasks. But this does not necessarily amount to being productive – rather, productivity is the resulting output from broader strategic goals. Our outlook on work must shift from the labour force selling their time to one where they are prompted to work smart, innovate, and produce.

And while there are no quick fixes to address Jamaica’s productivity challenges, there are gaps that can be tackled at present.

Paternity leave offers a welcome change to public sector workers, but there are so many more areas for reform. We must establish remote work as the way forward. We must establish a national consensus through legislation to protect the marginalised in the labour force. We must rethink what work is and move into contemporary work practices that will empower the labour force beyond clocking in.

Without these and other changes within the society, productivity levels will continue to plummet because our people are the drivers of a sustainable and purposeful future.

Kimberly Roach

Development practitioner

kimberlyoroach@gmail.com