The Trades Union Council says that the 2025 Population Report exposes what Treasury and the Chief Minister refuse to admit.
It says the “damning” report show that the island “is losing its own people, and the only thing stopping a population collapse is inward migration plugging the gaps”.
The union highlighted the small rise in population of 906 people since 2021, and cites that “new arrivals are replacing those who’ve had enough”.
Failed by Government
The union states that “young people are leaving because Government has failed them”.
It says “this Government can spin, deflect or blame “lifestyle choices,” but the truth is simple. Young people cannot afford to stay, cannot progress, and cannot see a future here.”
In its post on social media, the union says that this “a political failure not an accident”.
Treasury is under fire for years of failing to invest in apprenticeships and skilled trades, despite repeated promises of a “world-class” training system.
The Union explains how it feels that the island’s skills strategy is effectively non-existent, leaving underfunded programmes, no long-term planning, and young people forced off-island to learn trades urgently needed at home.
Relying on Inward Migration
As a result, the island now relies heavily on inward migration to fill gaps.
Nearly one in five new arrivals works in Medical and Health, reflecting sustained underinvestment and high staff turnover.
Even Public Administration is recruiting off-Island, raising concerns that government has “lost control of workforce planning.”
The Union’s message is blunt: invest in young people — with real wages, housing, skills, and career pathways — or continue losing the very workers the island needs most.
