Montserrat Survey of Living Conditions (MSLC) Executive Summary

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Montserrat Survey of Living ConditionsExecutive SummaryTotal social spending (education, health and social welfare) rose from EC$15.6 million in 2002 to EC$23.4million in 2007; around 1/3rd of this expenditure was on education and 2/3rds on health and socialwelfare. This expenditure has maintained a fairly constant share of total government recurrent expenditureof around 25%.2.4 EmploymentBetween 2001 and 2006, reconstruction activities led to employment increasing by almost 50% andunemployment dropping slightly to 12%. Women made up 44% of the active population. The pattern ofemployment also changed substantially between 1991 and 2001 with the government becoming by somemargin the most important sector accounting for 45% of total employment – a pattern that had changedlittle by 2008/09 when the self employed accounted for 19% of those working and 35% were privatesector employees. The principal trend in terms of occupational groupings, evident since 1991, is increasingproportions in both the most skilled (white collar) and least skilled (elementary) occupations; in contrast,the proportions of sales and skilled manual workers both decreased (Table ES2).Table ES2. Employment CharacteristicsType of Employment 1991 2001 2008/09Change 1991-2008/09Government/ Statutory Bodies 27% 45% 46% +19%Private employee 55% 39% 35% -20%Self employed 18% 16% 19% +1%Occupational GroupingManagerial, Professional, Technical 24% 30% 34% +10%Clerical and Sales 24% 27% 21% -3%Crafts and Skilled Manual 34% 25% 18% -16%Unskilled Elementary 18% 18% 26% +8%Total 100% 100% 100%Sources: 1991 and 2001 Censuses, Listing Survey 2006, SLC 2008/09Employment in construction and government (including health and education) dominate the economywith around 60% of all employment. There is negligible employment in agriculture or manufacturing.In 2001, non-nationals accounted for 22% of employment on the island. While they were found in alloccupations and industrial sectors, the proportions vary substantially: non-nationals are ‘over-represented’ 6in the unskilled, craft and professional groups, i.e. at both at both ends of the skills continuum. In termsof industrial sectors, they provide at least 30% of employment in domestic service, hotels, constructionand manufacturing; conversely, they are under-represented in government which is the most importantemployment sector of all.6 I.e. NNAT share of employment in an occupational group/ industrial sector is greater than their share of totalemployment.Montserrat Country Poverty Assessment, Final ReportHalcrow Group Limited, July 2012.ES6
Montserrat Survey of Living ConditionsExecutive Summary2.5 Education, Health and HousingEducation in Montserrat is compulsory for children between the ages of 5 and 14, and free up to the ageof 17. Attendance is essentially 100% as is the transition from primary to secondary. Youth and adultliteracy is also very high.Health conditions in Montserrat are generally good:Life expectancy at birth was 81.0 years for women and 76.5 years for men with additional gainsexpected for both sexes. This compares favourably with other OECS islands.Only 1 infant death has been recorded since 1998 and none of children aged under 5 years.There were no reported cases of protein energy malnutrition.The most common recorded communicable diseases from 1998 to 2006 are respiratoryinfections (39%), influenza (33%) and gastroenteritis (14%). These diseases are prevalent invirtually every country. In contrast, there have been no cases of the communicable childhooddiseases (measles, etc.) since 1998.Only 2 cases of AIDS have been recorded on the island since 1998 although 21 persons testedpositive for HIV infection during the same period. Given that some of these left the island, theoverall rate of incidence amongst adults (15-49 years) would be substantially below theCaribbean average.The main medical concerns at present are diabetes and hypertension which respectively afflictapproximately 6% and 10% of the population; prevalence rates are not dissimilar to those in the USADiabetes along with heart disease are the main causes of death (respectively 21% and 44% of all deathsbetween 2003 and 2006) with cancers (13%) accounting for a large proportion of the remainder. Anotherhealth concern is an increasing prevalence of dementia with many elderly persons receiving psychologicalservices and with over 100 being cared for in government institutions.Housing tenure has changed considerably sincethe eruption (Figure ES4) with the proportionof households owning their property decreasingby almost half from 72% to 38% between 1991and 2001. Although there were increases inprivate renting and rent free housing, the majorincrease was in government rentedaccommodation which provided for one inevery 6 households in 2001. Currently, thesituation has improved substantially with theproportion of owned dwellings increasing to59% with a corresponding decline in the rentedsector – a reflection factors such as theconstruction of Lookout and the closure oftemporary hostels.Figure ES4: Housing Tenure, 1991, 2001, 2008% of hholds80%72%70%59%60%50%43%38%40%31%30%20%20%12%10%10%7% 7%0%0%0%Owned Rented Rent Free Other1991 2001 2008/09 Housing TenureMontserrat Country Poverty Assessment, Final ReportHalcrow Group Limited, July 2012.ES7
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Montserrat Survey of Living Conditions (MSLC) Executive Summary

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