'Focus on creating jobs, not just economic growth'

Fiji should shift its national focus from economic growth to creating and sustaining jobs if it wants to tackle labour shortages, skills shortages and migration, International Labour Organization (ILO) Head of Education and Training Dr Naren Prasad says.

Speaking at the University of the South Pacific today, Dr Prasad said Fiji had made significant progress in infrastructure and economic development, but its labour market continued to face growing pressure from workforce shortages, skills gaps and migration.

He said policymakers should move beyond using Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth as the main measure of success and place employment at the centre of economic decision-making.

"We focus too much on GDP. Growth, growth, growth," he said.

"Our policy makers should focus more on putting the jobs at the center of policy making. Not only growth."

Dr Prasad said a job-centred approach should measure employment outcomes, labour force participation, wages and migration alongside economic growth.

He outlined five strategic shifts needed to strengthen Fiji's labour market: placing jobs at the centre of economic policy, building a skills system driven by labour market demand, making Fiji a country that retains skilled workers, increasing women's participation in the workforce, and ensuring policymaking is guided by evidence and research.

Dr Prasad said Fiji was producing more graduates than ever before, yet employers across many industries continued to struggle to fill vacancies.

"Labour shortages required policies that focused not only on economic output but also on creating opportunities, improving working conditions and retaining talent," Dr Prasad said.