JTPA warns of increase in crime due to unemployment

Job Training Partnership Act director Felix Nogis yesterday warned that the lack of available jobs for locals may lead to an increase in the number of food stamp recipients and contribute to the growing crime rate including juvenile delinquency.

Nogis expressed his concern as he noted the lack of interest among private companies to assist in accepting students for the on-the-job training program and eventually provide them gainful employment.

“Those people who have meaningful jobs will definitely not commit any crime. But you would have an increase in crime rate when you have out-of-school youth like these who do not have jobs because there are no opportunities for them,” said Nogis.

At the same time, Nogis said there is a need for the private companies to begin providing the same benefits given to government employees. He said the mandatory health insurance proposed by Sen. Morgen Tenorio should be passed by the legislature because this would at least make the job in the private sector more attractive for locals.

As long as the private sector cannot at least equal the benefits offered by the government, locals would continue to insist on becoming government employees, Nogis said.

While the government has made efforts to improve the business climate on the island, he said owners of businesses must begin asking themselves what they have done in return for the locals in terms of providing jobs and benefits. For example, he said the CNMI is the only place where businesses can get a substantial amount of tax rebate.

“Many of these businesses are simply greedy. The bottomline is greed. They want to pay lower salaries and cheaper benefits,” said Nogis.

He said most of the laws passed by the legislature favoring the private sector are unfortunately to the disadvantage of the locals. “It has not been a two-way street relationship. The private sector just want to get but they don’t want to give something in return,” said Nogis.

This year, only six of the 75 companies contacted by JTPA have expressed interest in accepting students for the on-the-job-training program.

“Eventually, you will see a disgruntled society here where the problem has become too difficult to handle. We should begin asking ourselves, what have we done to address this problem. I hope the leaders would take time to ask themselves where are we headed,” he said.

Due to Asia’s economic crisis, many businesses said they were forced to cut down on the labor force and even reduce working hours to survive. More than 1,000 businesses have closed shop since the island’s tourism economy was battered by the regional crisis in July 1997.