Survey: Most employers favor wage hike

About 60 percent of more than 200 CNMI employers surveyed favor increasing the minimum wage from $3.05, with the proposed increases ranging from a low of 10 cents to a high of $4.45.

Based on the employer survey presented by the Northern Marianas College –Small Business Development Center in yesterday’s first annual workforce development summit on Saipan, 59 percent or 129 of 220 respondents, said “yes” to a minimum wage increase in the CNMI, which is currently set at $3.05 per hour.

When asked what should be the rate, those in favor suggested a low of $3.15 and a high of $7.50 per hour. The mean rate would be $4.77 an hour.

There were 91 respondents or 41 percent who answered “no” to a wage increase.

Currently, the employers said that they are paying their workers a low of $3.05 and a high of $10.15 per hour.

In the survey, 42 percent of 229 employers cited work ethics as “the biggest obstacle to employing more residents in the private sector.”

Other reasons include lack of skilled labor, 28 percent; education, 16 percent; and compensation, 8 percent.

When asked what is the most important area that employees need additional training, over 33 percent of 230 respondents cited “customer service skills.”

Other trainings would be in special skills, 13.5 percent; IT skills, 10.9 percent; supervision and leadership skills, 10.9 percent; sales and marketing skills, 10 percent; and oral communication skills, 6.5 percent.

The surveyed CNMI employers said they have a great need for the following job classifications: accountant/bookkeeper, 45 percent; supervisory/managerial, 37 percent; customer service, 33 percent; skilled workers, 33 percent; sales and marketing, 31 percent; clerical/administrative, 30 percent; information technology, 30 percent; retail clerk/cashier, 25 percent; and communications, 20 percent.

There were a total of 230 employers who answered the survey.

Nearly 20 percent or 43 employers are from the retail industry, 17 percent or 40 employers are from the accommodation and food services, 13 percent of 29 employers are in other services except public administration, 7.4 percent or 17 companies from construction, 5.7 percent or 13 companies are into finance and insurance, 4.8 percent or 11 companies are into real estate and rental and leasing, and another 11 companies are into information technology and communication.

There were 10 companies each from the arts, entertainment and recreation as well as manufacturing, nine companies from professional, scientific and technical services, and seven companies each from wholesale trade and healthcare and social assistance.

There were six employers each from transportation and warehousing and education services.

Four companies each are into public administration/government and administrative, support or waste management.

Two companies are into management of companies or enterprises and one company from agriculture, forestry, fishing or hunting sector.

About 50 percent of the total respondents employ up to 10 workers, 25 percent employ up to 25 staff, 12.3 percent have 26 to 50 employees, 5.5 percent have 51 to 100 employees, 5 percent have 101 to 250 employees, while 2.7 percent have 251 to 500 more employees.

Yesterday’s day-long summit, held at the Hibiscus Hall of Fiesta Resort & Spa, was attended by over 100 people from both the private sector and the government. It was co-sponsored by Northern Marianas College Small Business Development Center and the Workforce Investment Agency.

The summit seeks to gather business and government leaders to discuss the CNMI employment needs with a goal of developing the local workforce and to fill positions that are currently occupied by guest workers.