Jamaica’s unemployment rate fell to a new record low of six per cent in April 2022, to continue the downward trajectory occurring in recent months.
This outturn, according to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica’s (STATIN) April Labour Force Survey, is 0.2 percentage point lower than the figure for January 2022.
Director General, Carol Coy, said it also represents a three-percentage point decline on the April 2021 outturn.
She was speaking during STATIN’s digital quarterly media briefing, on Friday (July 15).
Ms. Coy indicated that the male unemployment rate fell from 7.5 per cent to 4.7 per cent, while the corresponding figure for females dropped 3.2 percentage points to 7.6 per cent.
The unemployment rate for youth, age 14 to 24, was 15.5 per cent in April 2022, an 8.6-percentage point decline compared to the same period last year.
Coy advised that male youth unemployment fell six percentage points to 15.1 per cent, while the rate for females dropped from 28 per cent to 15.9 per cent.
Meanwhile, the number of employed persons who were engaged in economic activities for at least one hour during the March 20 to 26 Survey reference week, increased by 5.2 per cent to 1,269,300.
Coy indicated that females accounted for just over one-half of the increase, 33,600 persons or 53.1 per cent.
“Female employment grew by 6.2 per cent, while male employment increased by 4.5 per cent,” she further advised.
The overall number of persons in the labour force in April 2022 rose by 24,900 or 1.9 per cent to 1,350,300.
Coy advised that the number of individuals, 14 years and older, outside the labour force who were classified as neither employed nor unemployed, fell by 22,600 to 746,400, compared to April 2021.
“The number of males outside the labour force declined by 8,900, while the number of females declined by 13,700,” she further informed.
– JIS News
