Why did unemployment weaken the movement for Martinique’s independence?

The movement for Martinique’s independence was weakened by massive unemployment because the island’s economy was depressed and heavily reliant on foreign aid from France.1

Because the local economy struggled to provide sufficient employment, French aid and the opportunity for emigration to France served as essential palliatives for the population's economic hardships. Consequently, the prospect of independence—and the potential loss of these critical economic lifelines—undermined support for the movement, as many feared the loss of the protections and financial stability provided by French rule. While the island maintains a standard of living higher than many of its neighbors, this is largely due to a wage scale linked to that of metropolitan France, further tethering the island's economic security to its status as a French territory.12