Are migrants really taking jobs away from Guyanese?

Oct 23, 2026 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

(Kaieteur News) – The argument is being made in some quarters that businesses are deliberately choosing migrants over locals. The implication is that employers are discriminating against Guyanese in favour of foreigners. But having spoken with numerous business people, I have encountered a rather different explanation: many employers would actually prefer to employ Guyanese. The difficulty is finding workers who are willing to remain on the job consistently.

One employer told me flat that many local workers are simply not staying. They move on quickly and when you have had to invest in training, the rapid turnover of local staff represents a loss to businesses.