By Makeira Tucker 

Journal Staff Writer 

Minister of Labour, Public Service and National Insurance Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle is calling skilled Bahamians working abroad to return home after recent statistics show underemployment is on the rise. 

“Where there are Bahamians skilled at the highest levels we’re asking them to come back home,” said Glover-Rolle outside this week’s cabinet meeting where she acknowledged the underemployment increase. 

The Bahamas National Statistical Institute reported that while unemployment decreased to 8.1percent from 8.7 percent, underemployment has risen to 11 percent from 2025. 

Despite latest figures Glover-Rolle emphasized that the government is especially looking for Bahamian specialists working abroad to return home.

“We don’t want to engage Bahamians in only entry level work. We want to see Bahamians engaged at the highest levels,” Glover- Rolle said.  

One of the contributing factors for Bahamians not returning home is financial prospects that are f better abroad. Glover- Rolle acknowledges that factor but says that the government is working to address the issue. 

“We know that compensation is sometimes a challenge when people are working abroad or they have a very high-level skill set and they are saying the compensation does not match what they are looking for in the job market, but we’re working on that as well” she explained. 

“We want to ensure that Bahamians not only have jobs, but they have quality well paid careers, so that we can continue to see the unemployment figures decrease,” Glover-Rolle added.  

According to the minister, another contributor to underemployment is the lack of qualifications for the available job openings.

“Jobs are available but not necessarily for the skillsets that exist,” said Glover-Rolle 

 “Then you see where underemployment speaks to persons who have engaged work but maybe not in their field or skillset,” Glover- Rolle added. 

She also noted that the government is taking steps necessary to get citizens qualified for the available job fields on the market.

“We are working as an administration, as a government, to ensure that we are getting the skills to match the jobs that are available and we are preparing citizens with skills for the jobs that are emerging,” she said.