Jamaica’s Unemployment Rate Stood at 3.6% in July 2024 – STATIN

Jamaica’s unemployment rate reached a record low of 3.6 per cent in July 2024, according to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN).

The latest Labour Force Survey reveals the total labour force stood at 1,461,600 individuals, with males making up 53 per cent and females 47 per cent.

The overall labour force participation rate was 67.8 per cent, with males participating at 73.2 per cent compared to 62.6 per cent for females.

The number of employed persons was 1,409,000, with males accounting for 53.2 per cent of the workforce. However, 20,000 individuals, or 1.4 per cent, were underemployed, seeking additional work hours.

The largest occupational group was ‘Services and Sales Workers’, employing 338,200 people, of whom 224,400 were female.

This was followed by ‘Skilled Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishery Workers’ with 190,500 workers and ‘Elementary Occupations’ with 185,900 workers.

By industry, ‘Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles’ employed the most workers (265,200), with females making up 54.4 per cent. The ‘Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing’ sector followed with 201,000 employees, 74.2 per cent of whom were male.

Of the 52,600 unemployed individuals, females comprised 52.5 per cent. Youth aged 15-24 years had a 10.4 per cent unemployment rate, with young females experiencing higher unemployment (11.8%) than males (9.1%).

Regionally, unemployment was lowest in the Greater Kingston Metropolitan Area at 2.6 per cent, compared to 3.7 per cent in Other Urban Centres and 4.3 per cent in Rural Areas.

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