August 22, 2023

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) reported that the unemployment rate for April 2023 was 4.5%, compared to 6.0% in April 2022. The male unemployment rate declined from 4.7% in April 2022 to 3.4%, while the female unemployment rate fell from 7.6% to 5.7%. The number of unemployed persons recorded in April 2023 was 61,300, a decline of 19,700 (24.3%) compared to April 2022. The number of unemployed males was 24,900, a decrease of 8,900 (26.3%). The number of unemployed females was 36,400 compared to 47,200 a year earlier.

Data from the survey indicated there were 1,312,600 employed persons, an increase of 43,300 persons relative to April 2022. Females accounted for just over two-thirds of the increase in employment (29,700 or 68.6%). The number of employed males totalled 705,200, while the number of employed females were 607,400.

The youth (14-24 years) unemployment rate declined by 3.3 percentage points from 15.5% in April 2022 to 12.2% in April 2023. The unemployment rate for males 14 to 24 years was 12.0 % in April 2023 and 12.3% for females within the same age group.

Notably, in April 2023 the size of the Labour Force rose to 1,373,800, representing an increase of 23,500 (1.7%) additional persons compared to 1,350,300 recorded in April 2022. The male labour force increased by 4,700 (0.6%) to 730,000 and the female labour force increased by 18,800 (3.0%) to 643,800.

The largest increase in the Employed Labour Force by occupation group was in ‘Service Workers and Shop and Market Sales Workers’. There were 311,600 persons employed in this occupation group in April 2023, 27,700 more persons (9.8%) compared to April 2022. Male employment within this occupation group increased by 11,000 (10.7%) and females by 16,700 (9.2%). The number of employed persons in ‘Elementary Occupations’ was 173,100, an increase of 12,800 persons (8.0%) compared to April 2022. Females accounted for 60.3 and 57.0 per cent of the increase in ‘Service Workers and Shop and Market Sales Workers’ and ‘Elementary Occupations’, respectively.

Despite the increase in employment across most industry groups, there was a downturn in the numbers employed mainly in ‘Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing’. In April 2023, 182,500 persons were working in the industry, a decline of 7,800 persons (4.1%), 4,600 males and 3,200 females, compared to the April quarter in 2022.

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