Durrant Pate/Contributor

There has been a marked reduction in the number of Jamaicans, who have gotten work permits in The Cayman Islands to date.

The number of work permits issued to Jamaican workers dropped by 230 in the last month, which represents the highest decline in permits by nationality. Interestingly, Jamaica still topped the list for the most workers on permits in the Cayman Islands at 14,971.

Workers from the Philippines came in second with 5,870 permits, which represents 16.6 per cent of the overall tally of work permits in the first week of January. British workers came in third at 2,004, closely followed by Indian work-permit holders at 1,947.

Overall Cayman registered a 1,058 drop in work-permit holders based on January statistics from Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman. As at January 4. 2024, there were 35,443 individuals on work permits, a drop from a high of 36,501 in September 2023.

The drop in the January numbers was a continuation of a reduction that was noted in December when the statistics reflected a decrease of some 574 people. The total number of work permits as at December 5, 2023 stood at 35,927.

Work permits by nationality as at January4, 2024:

· 14,971 (42.2%) Jamaican – down by 230 in the last month

· 5,870 (16.6%) Filipino – down by 2 in the last month

· 2,004 (5.6%) British – down by 17 in the last month

· 1,947 (5.5%) Indian – down by 18 in the last month

· 1,176 (3.3%) Honduran – down by 26 in the last month

· 1,172 (3.3%) Canadian – down by 18 in the last month

· 902 (2.5%) American – down by 30 in the last month

· 890 (2.5%) Nepalese – down by 22 in the last month

· 716 (2.0%) Nicaraguan – down by 25 in the last month

· 650 (1.8% ) South African – up by 9 in the last month

· Total: 35,443

Speaking with Cayman Compass, immigration lawyer Nick Joseph, in referring to the statistics, argued that the reasons for the reported reduction of work-permit numbers are “unclear”.

According to him, “They (statistics) appear to be across a wide range of nationalities. It could be due to a mix of factors including a slowing down of the construction industry, in particular as interest rates bite, and sites closed for the holidays, or simply and hopefully because hundreds of Caymanians including the summer’s school and college graduates, have been able to assume many of the positions that would otherwise have been filled with expatriate labour.”

Joseph said the drop in permits “surprised us….They seemed to make little sense in the context of the islands ‘ramping up’ in anticipation of the tourism high season”.

He suggested that the decline could be as a result of the pace in which people are being granted permanent residency and accordingly, drop out of the work-permit figures. There were 5,865 permanent residents recorded as at November 29, 2023, according to Josephs, which seemingly did not include dependents.