Unemployment in Jamaica took another fall in the latest survey, done by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) as 27,300 more persons gained employment over the 12 months period to October last year.
The latest data from Statin shows, the unemployment rate falling to 10.4 percent in October last year, “the lowest since October 2008,” Statin stated. According to Statin the rate of unemployment “has been trending downwards over the last decade”. The unemployment numbers are based on a Labour Force, of 1,347,600 representing a decrease of 6,500 compared to 1,354,100 in October 2016.
A total of 1,206,800 persons were employed in October 2017, representing 27,300 persons or 2.3 percent more than the 1,179,500 recorded in October 2016. Employment for males increased by 5,300 to 668,900 and for females an increase of 22,000 or 4.3 percent from 515,900 to 537,900 over the same period. The youth unemployment fell but remains high at 25.4 percent, the lowest since January 2008.
The overall unemployment rate for the country in July last year was 11.3 percent.
40,100 Jamaicans found jobs
Staff at Derrimon Trading.
The unemployment rate decreased for men from 10.3 percent to 9.6 percent but women had a big setback with unemployment for them increasing from 16.8 percent to 18.4 percent.
The year over year change resulted in the Employed Labour Force for March 2016 was 1,168,600 up from 1,128,500 reported in March 2015 and left the Unemployment Rate for March 2016 at 13.7 percent an increase of 0.5 percentage points when compared to the March 2015 rate of 13.2 percent.
According to Statin, “the industry group “Wholesale and Retail, Repairs of Motor Vehicle and Equipment” provided employment for the majority (253,400) of the employed persons. This industry provided employment for the majority of females (117,100) but the largest number of males (157,100) were employed in the industry group “Agriculture, Hunting, and Forestry & Fishing”.The number of persons classified as being outside the Labour Force fell by 49,000 (6.3 percent) to 735,400 in the March 2016 survey bringing the number of persons in the Labour Force to 1,353,500, which was 53,100 (4.1 percent) greater than the 1,300,400 recorded in March 2015.
Services employed more Jamaicans
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).
Unemployment edge down
The unemployment rate for December 2015 for Jamaica edged down to 13.3 percent, a 0.9 percentage point decrease, compared to 14.2 percent in December 2014.
The number of unemployed persons decreased by 9,900, from 188,000 in December 2014, to 178,100 in December 2015, the Statistical Institute of Jamaica reported in April.
While the unemployment numbers decreased by just under 10,000 persons, more Jamaicans gained employment than the fall in the unemployed numbers. A total of 31,400 persons obtained employment in December 2015 over the similar period in 2014, resulting in 1,163,600 employed persons in the work force said by the STATIN to be 1,341,700 persons as of December 2015. In December 2014, a total of 1,132,200 residence in Jamaica were said to be employed.
Jamaica’s unemployment falls
Jamaica’s Unemployment Rate fell by 0.7 percentage point in towards the end of September but remains at a stubborn 13.5 percent of persons said to be in the workforce, a decrease from to 14.2 percent at the same time in 2014.
Over the period, the unemployment rate for males declined from 9.9 percent to 9.3 percent and for females from 19.4 percent to 18.5 percent.
The number of persons Unemployed in September 2015 was 178,600, a decrease of 7,600 compared with 186,200 in September 2014. “The largest increase in the number of employed persons occurred in the industry group ‘Hotels and Restaurants Services’ and ‘Real Estate, Renting & Business Activities’ with a total of 23,700 persons,” the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) said.
A total of 22,600 more workers were employed compared with September 2014 bringing the total to 1,146,600 employed persons in September 2015.
Jamaica’s Unemployed down slightly in June
Jamaica’s unemployment rate for June 2015 saw an improvement over the similar period of 2014. According to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), 13.1 percent of the labour force were out of work when their Labour Force Survey was carried out, a reduction from the 13.8 percent level in the 2014 period.
Over the period, “the unemployment rate for males declined from 9.9 percent to 9.3 percent and for females from a very high 18.4 percent to 17.7 percent”, STATIN stated.
The number of unemployed persons decreased by 6,300 or 3.5 percent, moving from 179,300 persons in June 2014 to 173,000 in June this year. A total of 1,147,500 persons were employed at the time of the survey, 23,200 more than the 1,124,300 in June 2014. The Labour Force increased by 16,800 or 1.3 percent over the 1,303,700 recorded in June 2014, to 1,320,500 in 2015.In June 2015, the number of persons who were classified as being Outside the Labour Force fell by 12,700 or1.6 percent to 765,400 from 778,100 in June 2014.
The Occupation group, Clerks, saw 9,400 more persons or 9.1 percent being employment, raising the numbers employed from 103,000 in June 2014 to 112,400 at the middle of this year. Increases in employment were also observed in Craft and Related Trades Workers with an increase of 3.4 percent from 136,200 persons in June 2014 to 140,900. Employment in the group, Real Estate, Renting & Business Activities increased by 14,400 persons or 22.4 percent while the group Hotels and Restaurants Services increased by 8.8 percent or 7,300 persons.
Little change in employed in March
Jamaica’s unemployment rate drops to 13.6 percent in March compared to March last year, according to data released by the Statistical institute of Jamaica (STATIN), but the rate is worse than it was in December last year.
The unemployment rate in December was 13.4 percent according to Statin data for that period. There were 1,133,000 employed persons in March this year, which was 25,700 more than the 1,107,300 recorded in April 2013, the Statin labour report said, the March 2014 numbers are only a marginally better than the 1,130,500 persons employed in December last yea.
According to the Statin data, the country’s labour force in March was 1.311 billion persons down from 1.322 billion in Match 2013 as 11,300 persons exited the work force over the one year period, the report stated. At the same time 25,700 persons found work across a wide cross section of the work force. The number of persons classified as outside the Labour Force was 769,900 In March 2014 and an increase of 16,200 over 2013.
Who got jobs?|The Occupation group ‘Elementary Occupations’ increased by 18,200 persons or 12.8 percent, moving from 141,700 in April 2013 to 159,900 in March and the group, ‘Professionals, Senior Officials and Technicians’, increased from 241,900 persons in March 2013 to 251,700 persons (4.1 percent). The group ‘Craft and Related Trades Workers’ had the largest decline for the period, moving from 139,300 in March 2013 to 134,700 in 2014, resulting in a decline of 4,600 (3.3 percent) persons.
The number of persons employed in the ‘Hotels & Restaurants Services’ increased by 9,100 (13.4 percent) persons while the group ‘Transport, Storage and Communication’ increased by 7,300 (10.5 percent) persons.
