Jamaican Economy Panel Discussion on Youth Unemployment and Options for its Continued Decline

Like many Small Island Developing States (SIDS) across the Caribbean, providing sufficient labour market opportunities, particularly for youth (15 to 24 years), continues to be a challenge for Jamaica.

Over the past decade, official statistics show that the average overall unemployment rate has been in double digits (11% from April 2013 to April 2021), which for youth has been much higher at 27%. In recent years, the trend has been decreasing, but unemployment remains high for Jamaica’s youth. An interesting development in Jamaica's labour market has been the convergence in unemployment rates between men and young women. This has been so significant that in July 2022, the unemployment rate among young women fell to below that of young men. A marked departure from the trend.