The job search in Havana has become a complex experience in an aging city, facing rampant inflation, where salaries are insufficient to meet basic needs.
The YouTuber Jonix Dose, in his video "Cuba Today: The Crisis of Finding Work in Havana," conducts an in-depth analysis of this issue and discusses which positions are in highest demand in today's Cuban job market.
The most sought-after jobs include:
- any role in small and medium-sized enterprises, especially commercial agents
- self-employed, promoting the sale of various types of products
- waiter or culinary professionals, in cafés or private restaurants
- nurses (hospital companions) and elderly caregivers
- cleaning staff, although these positions tend to be unstable.
People avoid working in state institutions because the salaries are low compared to the private sector. Moreover, they cannot freely express their ideas and are under constant government oversight.
Many Cubans have left their traditional professions in search of higher incomes, even if this means facing exhausting work hours and precarious labor conditions. The highest exodus of professionals is in Public Health and Education, sectors that are particularly sensitive.
The private sector, while offering attractive salaries compared to the public sector, presents significant challenges. Contracts often require working up to 12 hours a day, and employers frequently impose requirements such as a driver's license and full availability, which limits work-life balance.
Additionally, some business owners criticize the lack of commitment from employees, who abandon their positions without notice, potentially disrupting services, with no laws in place to support the interests of both parties.
Mass migration has left the island with a depleted workforce, as young people choose to seek opportunities abroad while families remain divided.
This exodus has exacerbated the lack of qualified personnel in key areas, while salaries fail to meet basic needs amid the constant rise in prices.
Jonix Dose offers a poignant journey through the reality of Cuba in his video, showcasing how the population strives to survive amid an increasingly unsustainable labor system.
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