Guest workers make up 79 percent of CNMI’s labor pool

The Northern Marianas remains heavily dependent on imported labor as non-US citizens still make up the biggest chunk or 79 percent of the combined 43,652 workforce on the island in the first quarter of 1999, according to a report released by the Department of Commerce.

In contrast, US citizens supplied only 21 percent of the manpower in the labor force in the CNMI, the quarterly report says.

Based on the definition of the commerce department, labor force is composed of individuals age 16 years and above. Of the total 54,540 number of people within this age group, 72 percent are non-US citizens.

“Persons without a job and not looking for one or even if offered one would not have taken it are not considered a part of the workforce and therefore not counted nor considered as unemployed,” the department said.

Among US citizens alone, unemployment reached 13.4 percent while jobless non-US citizens only make up 3.2 percent.

However, the department warned against making any hasty conclusion on unemployment record since the survey only represent a certain period and do not actually cover an entire year. For example, the 1995 Census of the CNMI was the week prior to September 9, 1995 and do not represent the entire year.

In order to further understand why unemployment data is unpredictable, the department specified those who are not considered in the labor force: below 16 years of age, housewives, students age 16 years and older but still in school, retired or independent wealthy people not looking for work, people doing occasional unpaid family work (less than 15 hours a week) and those in jail or mental institution.

Fifty-one percent of US citizens are employed in the private sector, 44 percent are working in the government and the remaining 5 percent are self-employed.

Manufacturing is still the biggest industry that employs a huge number of non-US citizens with a total of 41 percent. Hotels and restaurants which belong to the service industry employ 26.5 percent while retail shops account for 13 percent of the labor force.

Other non-US citizens who are employed include 9 percent in the construction, 4.3 percent in transportation and communication, 2 percent in wholesale, 1.3 percent in finance, insurance and real estate.
US and Non-US citizens Based on the department’s survey in terms of job classification, operators, fabricators and laborers make up 36 percent of the combined 43,652 employed US and non-US citizens on the island.

Those whose occupation fall under service (waiter, waitresses, cooks, etc.) account for 17 percent of the total labor force in the CNMI. This is closely followed by 14 percent in technical sales and administrative support jobs while 11 percent in precision production, craft and repair jobs category.

Of the six job classifications listed in the department’s survey, farming, forestry and fishing accounted for the smallest share in the total workforce with only 2 percent.

Again, the department offers an explanation on the factors affecting the employment data in the CNMI: housewives returning to work after staying home for a long time or vice versa, job availability and preference of the workforce, skills requirement, attrition of workers during the period and school schedule.