CNMI prevailing wage report is finally completed

In response to the lack of statewide prevailing wage rates for the different occupations in the CNMI and the need to have rates that mirror the actual going wage rates on the islands, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos announced yesterday the completion and release of the first part of the CNMI Prevailing Wage Workforce Assessment Study.

The study will be uploaded and may be accessed beginning today, May 9, 2012, through the Department of Commerce website at www.commerce.gov.mp.

This release is the Prevailing Wage section and it includes the types of occupations that exist in the CNMI. It measures the occupation-specific wage rates for each of the identified occupations as of October 2011. This report lists the 523 individual occupation titles found in the study and shows the average hourly wage rate and other relevant descriptive statistics for each occupation title. Also shown are the same statistics at the different levels of aggregation according to the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification. Together, these statistics aim to fulfill the requirement of U.S. Public Law 110-229 or the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008.

“I am a firm believer in data, data, data. My office is excited to see this published as this may be the first of its kind in the CNMI that provides details on occupation titles, wage statistics, average hourly wage rate (mean and median) sorted out by islands, major industry group, major occupation group, and by basic demographics including gender, age, citizenship, and ethnicity,” said Edith Deleon Guerrero, WIA executive director.

Press secretary Angel Demapan also stated that, “although the Saipan Chamber of Commerce initially released a study last year, this comprehensive report encompasses a broader population base and focused not only on the prevailing wage but also on the workforce assessment that should be released by end of this month. This is a two-part study that will report on what we’ve come to call the ‘prevailing wage,’ while the second part that will capture ‘workforce assessment study’ will be forthcoming.”

Many individual efforts from businesses, organizations, and offices combined to complete this study.

The CNMI business community provided the necessary data, which made this study possible. The study enumerators visited a total of 1,806 businesses, autonomous agencies, private schools, and other organizations; 1,486 responded; and 1,201 reported employee data to the Prevailing Wage Workforce Assessment Study. Business organizations including the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and the Korean Business Association encouraged their members to participate in the study.

Government agencies-notably the Department of Finance, the Workforce Investment Agency, and the Department of Labor-contributed tremendously. Finance Secretary Larrisa Larson and her staff provided the comprehensive list of establishments doing business or providing services in the Commonwealth, which the study used in its data collection effort. Finance also provided the data on occupation, wages, and fringe benefits on government employees. The director of the Workforce Investment Agency, Edith Deleon Guerrero, Labor Secretary Gil San Nicolas, and their staff were involved in the study from the beginning and provided valuable reviews and inputs from the development of the questionnaire to the final report.

Phillip M. Doyle, Assistant Commissioner, and staff, from the Office of Compensation Levels and Trends, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, also provided invaluable reviews and comments on the questionnaire, the initial draft reports, and the final report. In addition, Dr. Michael J. Levin copy-edited the final report.

Central Statistics Office, under the then Directorship of Ivan A. Blanco and later Perry Inos, at the Department of Commerce, was responsible for the development and implementation of the wage study. Justin Andrew, Fermin Sakisat, and Brenda Rideb took charge of the hiring, training, and supervising the data collection, data entry, and data cleaning. Ten enumerators-Singeru Sugiyama, Bernard Taitano, Marian Tudela, Dominica Tebuteb, Kimberly Ann Diaz, Carmelisa Tebuteb, Sheila Perez, Yubert Alepuyo, John Hosono, and Ketson “Zack” Kabiriel were hired as temporary employees under CSD and managed the data collection on Saipan; two enumerators-Agida Quitugua and Flora Castro-managed the data collection on Rota; and two enumerators-Vicenta San Nicolas and Marthonia Borja-managed the data collection on Tinian. Resident directors Bill Hocog and Joe Kiyoshi of Commerce on Tinian and Rota assisted CSD on logistical support during the data collection phase from those two islands. Four data clerks-Jesusa Helgen, Ignacio Teregeyo, Memorina Olopai, and Sylvia Torres-reviewed the field-incoming forms, coded, and keyed data into the computer and assisted in the data cleaning process.

Wil Maui served as a consultant for the wage study. Maui assisted in the different phases of the study, produced and analyzed the statistics, and prepared this report.

“We extend our gracious appreciation to the private businesses and government agencies who participated in the CNMI Prevailing Wage and Workforce Assessment, which included around 2,340 establishments,” said Fitial and Inos.

Commerce Secretary Sixto Igisomar added: “Their voluntary participation has produced the CNMI’s first PWWAS State sanctioned report, which will assist policy makers in improved planning for the CNMI’s workforce.” (PR)