Nationalities in Cayman
#1
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Nationalities in Cayman
Some interesting statistics of Cayman's workforce, that might come as a surprise to some members of this forum.
https://www.caymancompass.com/2019/0...cation=picture
https://www.caymancompass.com/2019/0...cation=picture
#2
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Re: Nationalities in Cayman
I think it looks about what i would expect. However cross pollinate it with salaries and i suspect a different picture might emerge. Where are the banking and IT people coming from? Are the caribbean workers on the lower incomes?
I had a conversation about the same sort of thing in Dubai. There, there are 3 types of workers with vastly different incomes and interestingly vastly different legal rights. Americans and europeans, then asian experts then asian and african manual workers. An asian doung the same job as a european might get paid 25% if the europeans salary.
If a european loses their job, their visa expires a month later and they are supposed to get out, or apply for a temp tourist visa. A manual labourer will be taken to the airport and put on the next flight out by his employer as thats what the law demands for them.
I had a conversation about the same sort of thing in Dubai. There, there are 3 types of workers with vastly different incomes and interestingly vastly different legal rights. Americans and europeans, then asian experts then asian and african manual workers. An asian doung the same job as a european might get paid 25% if the europeans salary.
If a european loses their job, their visa expires a month later and they are supposed to get out, or apply for a temp tourist visa. A manual labourer will be taken to the airport and put on the next flight out by his employer as thats what the law demands for them.
#3
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Re: Nationalities in Cayman
What do you think would surprise the locals?
#4
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Re: Nationalities in Cayman
Very surprised there are more Indians here than Americans or Canadians!
#5
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Re: Nationalities in Cayman
Im betting you can employ 3 very smart Indian financial analysts for the cost of one european/murican.
Of course many may just be labourers/construction workers.
Of course many may just be labourers/construction workers.
#6
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Re: Nationalities in Cayman
The first thing to point out - before we get to analysing the figures - is that Work Permit holders are not the same as expats. In 2003, at the insistence of the British FCO, many foreigners were granted Caymanian Status (citizenship, in effect), and all those thousands of grantees suddenly disappeared from the Work Permit requirement. They remained "expats" in the eyes of the Caymanians and of some of the local laws. We're not considered "real" Caymanians. Most of them were Jamaicans, and the next most were probably British.
Another problem with judging Cayman's population statistics is that the children of Caymanians "by right" inherit that right. As mixed marriages (i.e. between Caymanians and non-Caymanians) have become more and more common over the years, so has the number of "bloodline" Caymanians. When we first came here in 1978, there were about two dozen "native Caymanian" surnames in the phone book, now there are hundreds, and one can't tell who is Caymanian and who isn't, except by asking.
Another problem with judging Cayman's population statistics is that the children of Caymanians "by right" inherit that right. As mixed marriages (i.e. between Caymanians and non-Caymanians) have become more and more common over the years, so has the number of "bloodline" Caymanians. When we first came here in 1978, there were about two dozen "native Caymanian" surnames in the phone book, now there are hundreds, and one can't tell who is Caymanian and who isn't, except by asking.
#7
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Re: Nationalities in Cayman
The Indian doctors and nurses at our Indian-owned hospital are paid less than the doctors (of whatever nationality) at our other two hospitals - again for natural capitalistic reasons. But the young Indian nurse at my doctor's office would be paid the same as her Caymanian, Jamaican and English predecessors, I think.
As a general statement, skilled workers get the same whatever their nationalities, and so do unskilled. European unskilled workers are few, because they wouldn't work for Cayman wages - not because they're discriminated against. And the cashiers in shops get paid a flat hourly rate regardless of origins.
#8
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Re: Nationalities in Cayman
Thats an interesting comparison with the arabs who definitely do pay with regard to the wages in the persons home country regardless of their value in dubai. There its 100% indentured labour too.
#9
Re: Nationalities in Cayman
The first thing to point out - before we get to analysing the figures - is that Work Permit holders are not the same as expats. In 2003, at the insistence of the British FCO, many foreigners were granted Caymanian Status (citizenship, in effect), and all those thousands of grantees suddenly disappeared from the Work Permit requirement. They remained "expats" in the eyes of the Caymanians and of some of the local laws. We're not considered "real" Caymanians. Most of them were Jamaicans, and the next most were probably British.
Another problem with judging Cayman's population statistics is that the children of Caymanians "by right" inherit that right. As mixed marriages (i.e. between Caymanians and non-Caymanians) have become more and more common over the years, so has the number of "bloodline" Caymanians. When we first came here in 1978, there were about two dozen "native Caymanian" surnames in the phone book, now there are hundreds, and one can't tell who is Caymanian and who isn't, except by asking.
Another problem with judging Cayman's population statistics is that the children of Caymanians "by right" inherit that right. As mixed marriages (i.e. between Caymanians and non-Caymanians) have become more and more common over the years, so has the number of "bloodline" Caymanians. When we first came here in 1978, there were about two dozen "native Caymanian" surnames in the phone book, now there are hundreds, and one can't tell who is Caymanian and who isn't, except by asking.
#10
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Re: Nationalities in Cayman
McKeeva was the Islands' political leader in 2003, when Britain demanded that the backlog of Status applicants be eliminated. He did that, and at the same time allowed a lot of random names to be gazetted as new Caymanians. Except for his loyal followers in West Bay, the hardcore anti-expats have never forgiven him for that, which is how he fell out of power.
#11
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Re: Nationalities in Cayman
The indentured-labour law - many Jamaicans call it "near slavery" - is disgracefully cruel to domestic workers especially. I have publicly spoken against it for thirty years or so, on and off, but to no avail. It is responsible for the corruption of our immigration system, as (unscrupulous) employers have stolen money from their ill-paid domestics with impunity. Back when I was managing the Chamber of Commerce, and later when writing my newspaper columns, I had quite a struggle to stay on the Island. The local Immigration authorities once even sent a chauffeur-driven bully-boy to my house threatening to pull my Permanent Residence. Fun times!
#12
Re: Nationalities in Cayman
Well, it's always been like that, Jamesy. There has always been an underclass in Cayman that hankers for The Good Ol' Days of smoke-pots and wompers, no modernising and no foreigners! I don't think there has ever been an MLA elected who didn't do some expat-bashing during his or her campaign.
McKeeva was the Islands' political leader in 2003, when Britain demanded that the backlog of Status applicants be eliminated. He did that, and at the same time allowed a lot of random names to be gazetted as new Caymanians. Except for his loyal followers in West Bay, the hardcore anti-expats have never forgiven him for that, which is how he fell out of power.
McKeeva was the Islands' political leader in 2003, when Britain demanded that the backlog of Status applicants be eliminated. He did that, and at the same time allowed a lot of random names to be gazetted as new Caymanians. Except for his loyal followers in West Bay, the hardcore anti-expats have never forgiven him for that, which is how he fell out of power.
#13
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Re: Nationalities in Cayman
All those naturalisations bumped the number of Work Permit down significantly, and have screwed up our official statistics ever since!
#14
Re: Nationalities in Cayman
lol:.....It's ok.....I knew what obfuscate meant! So the hardcore West Bay vote is what keeps him from tumbling?
#15
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Re: Nationalities in Cayman
Yes it is. Three of the four West Bay seats are his, but none elsewhere in the Islands. He's always looked after his constituents very well. He was our first Premier, if you remember.