Numbers not Adding Up

Economic study counters around the world, including the Caribbean, it was found that most companies are reducing employment and investment.

And the latest study of global economic conditions published by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Management Accountants also indicated that 69 percent of respondents in this part of the world feel less optimistic about conditions economic in the first quarter of this year.

"The problems are particularly acute in the largest economy in the region, Brazil, where the president seems [Dilma] Rousseff is on the prosecution and [gross domestic product] will shrink 5.9 percent [one year] in the fourth district according to government figures, "said the report.

"The parts of the Caribbean, including Trinidad and Tobago, also suffered as prices of raw materials fell, which helps explain why our rate of government expenditure pending the region fell during the last year.

"A recovery of the amount and demand for financial services of tourism [US], meanwhile, should help these economies in the Caribbean - as Barbados, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands - where prices commodities are less important" .

Overall, the survey found that more than half of the companies are either cutting or freezing employment, while only 14 percent increase investment in personnel.

In response to the results, Faye Chua, director of ACCA business concentration, said, "Take the North America of the equation and the economic picture painted by this survey is not enough Emerging markets are under siege Sales of raw materials companies.. trade have collapsed since mid 2014. And in China business confidence fell to its lowest level since our records began.

"Almost half of the companies reported lower revenues in each district. As a result, all regions except North America has seen an increase in the number of capital spending by reducing the AT- companies added.

"With emerging economies continues to struggle with the prices of basic and numerous companies in a locking overhead products, the outlook for the global economy is increasingly bleak."

He noted that this is the so-called emerging markets that have been "suffering the most substantive lines being squeezed."

The official also said pulling the global economy out of the doldrums could not be achieved in the short term.