According to the Business and Consumer Confidence survey conducted by Market Research Services, which is headed by Don Anderson, business confidence in Jamaica is up by 2.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2026.

For the first quarter, business confidence fell by 6.5 per cent. This was no doubt as a result of the impact of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, which slammed into Jamaica at the end of October 2025.

Jamaica has seen the last two quarters record negative growth, which most reputable economists would qualify as a recession.  The Planning Institute of Jamaica ( PIOJ) has made it clear that the Jamaican economy is not in bad shape and is not experiencing an L-shaped recession.

Don Anderson is the best pollster in Jamaica and is highly reputable. There are many pollsters and data gatherers coming onto the scene, but none match his rigour and expertise. 

It does invite curiosity that business confidence is on the up at a time when inflation is climbing ( now at 4.3%), so too are energy prices (oil is now back to US$100 a barrel). Tourism is in the doldrums and remittances are falling. The equities market is stagnant, and the agriculture sector is declining.

What must be noted is that the Jamaican economy has declined by 11 per cent over the first six months of this year, with real GDP falling. Also, Government revenues are declining; some say it is J$22 billion below budget. 

It’s hard to see an uptick in business confidence in this current environment.

If the Government can move expeditiously to put measures in place to spur recovery post Melissa, that uptick in business confidence can be readily explained. 

While business confidence is up, Market Research Services found consumer confidence fell by 2.3 per cent in the second quarter. It was up by 5.7 per cent in the previous quarter.