Unemployment down to 8.4 per cent - STATIN
Published:Wednesday | October 31, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Jamaica has recorded a further decline in the unemployment rate, with the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) reporting that unemployment has fallen by 2.9 percentage points, to 8.4 per cent as at July 2018.
“This was mainly due to an increase in the number of persons employed and a simultaneous reduction in the number of persons in the labour force,” STATIN said in its Labour Force report released yesterday.
“This decrease was reflected in a decline in both the male and female unemployment rates. Male unemployment rate declined by 2.2 percentage points, to 5.8 per cent. The female unemployment rate declined by 3.8 percentage points, to 11.4 per cent.”
The state agency reports that in July 2018, the number of persons employed was 1,226,400, representing an increase of 12,800 persons above the number recorded in July 2017.
The number of males employed increased by 5,900 to 681,800, while female employment increased by 6,900 to 544,600.
The Labour Force, as at July 2018, was 1,338,200 persons, a decrease of 2.2 per cent compared to July 2017, STATIN said.
The report highlights that the largest job growth was seen in the occupation group ‘Service Workers and Shop and Market Sales Workers’, which showed increased employment of 13,600 persons from 277,100 in July 2017 to 290,700 in July 2018.
The number of persons employed in the ‘Construction’ industry in July 2018 was 103,700, an increase of 9,400 persons when compared to July 2017.
Among employed females, ‘Wholesale & Retail, Repair of Motor Vehicle & Equipment’ industry accounted for the largest increase in employment of 5,200, moving to 129,400 in July 2018.
Additionally, STATIN said the number of unemployed persons declined by 27.7 per cent to 111,800 persons in July 2018 when compared to July 2017.
“The number of unemployed males decreased by 28.6 per cent to 41,800, while unemployed females decreased by 27.2 per cent to 70,000,” the report pointed out.
Unemployed youth, aged 14 to 24 years, decreased by 14,600 persons to 45,200 in July 2018.