Jamaica’s unemployment rate fell to 3.3 per cent in October, though the labour market showed signs of softness as fewer people sought work and youth employment declined ahead of Hurricane Melissa’s strike later that month, according to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN).
STATIN said 1.41 million people were employed in October, down 3,800 from a year earlier, while the number of unemployed fell to 48,800 from 51,300. The jobless rate improved from 3.5 per cent in October 2024.
The labour force participation rate slipped to 67.8 per cent from 68.1 per cent, as 693,800 people remained outside the workforce, an increase of 6,300. The total labour force declined by 6,300 to 1.46 million.
“These shifts resulted in an unemployment rate of 3.3 per cent compared with 3.5 per cent in October 2024,” the statistics agency said in a statement Wednesday.
The survey, conducted 5–11 October, captured labour conditions before Hurricane Melissa made landfall on 28 October, causing widespread disruption. The storm forced the agency to deploy an abridged questionnaire in five western parishes and delayed data collection and processing.
“Therefore, some of the usual indicators could not be estimated for the quarter,” stated STATIN adding that data collection for the LFS is typically completed within six weeks of the reference week. “However, due to the extensive impact of Hurricane Melissa, both data collection and processing activities were extended by an additional two weeks.”
Male employment fell 1.5 per cent to 757,000, while female employment rose 1.2 per cent to 656,200. The male labour force contracted by 11,900 to 777,200, while the female labour force grew by 5,600 to 684,800.
Youth employment posted the sharpest decline, falling six per cent to 163,600. Youth unemployment dropped by 2,200 to 19,400, though the number of young people outside the labour force climbed 12,600 to 306,900, suggesting more left the job market than found work.
Among occupational groups, clerical support workers saw the steepest drop, down 11.2 per cent to 126,700. Craft and related trades workers declined by 11,700 to 160,000, with males accounting for 8,900 of the losses.
Managers bucked the trend, rising 19.3 per cent to 101,400, while technicians and associate professionals increased to 94,300.
By industry, real estate and other business services shed 10,400 positions, leaving 155,000 employed in the sector. Arts, entertainment, recreation and other services cut 6,400 jobs, bringing employment to 117,000.
The unemployment rate for men held steady at 2.6 per cent, while the rate for women edged down to 4.2 per cent. The number of men outside the labour force surged 11,800 to 281,500, while 5,500 fewer women remained out of work, bringing the female total to 412,300.
The data provide a pre-storm baseline for assessing Hurricane Melissa’s impact on employment when the next survey results are released.
