Jamaica’s unemployment rate declined in December last year, compared with the same period in 2014, as 31,400 persons more persons obtained employment than in 2014, according to data recently released by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN).
Persons gaining employment went mostly in the Occupational group ‘Service Workers, Shops and Market Sales Workers’ with an increase of 15.9 percent or 34,700 persons, from 218,300 in December 2014 to 253,000 in December 2015, STATIN stated in their latest report on employment in Jamaica. The group ‘Elementary Occupations’ increased by 20.6 percent from 137,100 persons in December 2014 to 165,300 persons at the end of 2015.
Construction sector employed more in late 2015.
The largest increase in the number of employed persons by Industry occurred in the groups ‘Wholesale & Retail, Repair of Motor Vehicle & Equipment’ and ‘Construction’ with an increase of 14,200 persons or 6 percent, while the group ‘Construction’ increased by 9,800 persons (12.9 percent).
Employment in the industry group ‘Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry & Fishing’ declined for the period moving from 199,600 in December 2014 to 194,000. Manufacturing suffered a decline of 5,200 persons (6.6 percent).
