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Down to 4.2 per cent coming from 5.4 per cent in January 2024

Durrant Pate/ Contributor

Jamaica’s unemployment rate continues to improve with a further contraction of 1.2 per cent from January to April 2024.

In January 2024, unemployment was measured at 5.4 per cent by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), but its latest reading for April 2024 shows unemployment contracting to 4.2 per cent.  The unemployment rate was higher for females at 5.3 per cent compared to 3.3 per cent for males. 

The statistics show that in April 2024, there were 62,800 unemployed individuals, with females accounting for 58.1 per cent.  There were 29,400 unemployed youth (aged 15–24) in April 2024, of which 15,100, or 51.4 per cent, were males. 

Youth unemployment stood at 14.8 per cent, with female youths having a higher unemployment rate of 16.4 per cent compared to 13.6 per cent for their male counterparts. Regionally, the unemployment rate was lowest in the Greater Kingston Metropolitan Area at 3.1 per cent, while it was 4.9 per cent in rural areas and 4.8 per cent in other urban centers. 

The unemployment rate continues to be a key indicator of labor underutilization (LU2), reflecting the most direct need for employment and exerting the greatest pressure on the labor market. The labor underutilization rate was 5.9 per cent. This rate represents the total unmet employment need, encompassing those who are employed but desire more hours and those who are unemployed.

Outside the Labour Force 

There were 672,700 individuals outside the labor force, meaning working-age Jamaicans were not employed and not actively seeking a job. There were more females (402,500) than males (270,200) outside the labor force.

Among those outside the labor force, 23,600, or 3.5 per cent, were classified as part of the potential labor force, which is defined as individuals seeking employment but not available to work or available for work but not currently searching for a job. Among the youth aged 15 to 24 outside the labor force, there were 139,600 males and 153,000 females. 

As for youths not in education, employment, or training, in April 2024 there were 93,900 such individuals, with 48,700 being males and 45,100 being females.

The LU3, which includes both unavailable job seekers and available nonjob seekers, was 5.7 per cent. 

The LU4 was 7.4 per cent, capturing the proportion of individuals who were either time-related underemployed, unemployed, or part of the potential labor force. STATIN is Jamaica’s National Statistics Office and the leading provider of official statistics on the country’s economic, social, demographic, and environmental conditions.