Jamaica’s unemployment rate fell to a new record low of 4.5 percent in April 2023, according to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) Labor Force Survey.

This was 1.5 percentage points lower than the out-turn for the corresponding period in 2022, Director General, Carol Coy, indicated.

In a recent STATIN’s quarterly digital media briefing, Ms. Coy reported that the number of unemployed persons in April this year fell by 19,700, or 24.3 percent, to 61,300, compared to a similar period last year.

She noted that the number of unemployed males fell by 8,900, or 26.3 percent, to 24,900, while the corresponding outturn for females dropped from 47,200 last year to 36,400 in April.

The number of unemployed youths, aged 14 to 24, was 24,600, a decrease of 6,800 or 21.7 percent.
Meanwhile, the number of employed persons increased by 43,300 to 1,312,600.

“Females accounted for over two-thirds of this increase. Employed females grew by 5.1 percent or 29,700, while employed males increased by two percent or 13,600,” Ms. Coy said.

A larger number of females were employed mainly in the occupation group ‘Service Workers and Shop and Market Sales Workers’ and within the industry group ‘Real Estate and Other Business Services’.

The largest increase in the Employed Labor Force by occupation group was in ‘Service Workers and Shop and Market Sales Workers’.

STATIN reports that there were 311,600 persons employed in this cohort in April 2023, an increase of 27,700 or 9.8 percent, compared to the corresponding period last year.

Male employment within this occupation group increased by 11,000 or 10.7 percent, while female numbers rose by 16,700 or 9.2 percentage points.

In April 2023, there were 141,600 persons employed in the industry group ‘Real Estate and Other Business Services’.

Compared to April 2022, the largest increase in employed persons occurred in this industry (15,300 or 12.1 percent). Females accounted for 71.2 percent (10,900) of the increase in this industry.

‘Wholesale and Retail Trade: Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles’ employed 249,800 persons and had the second largest increase of 13,100 or 5.5 percent.

STATIN also advised that there was increased employment in all age groups.

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Readers Bureau, Contributor

 Edited by Jesus Chan

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