KINGSTON: State Minister of Finance and the Public Service Fayval Williams has said 21,900 more Jamaicans had jobs in January 2017 than in January, 2016. In her contribution to the Sectoral Debate in Parliament, Williams said the figure comprises 10,100 women and 11,800 men who were gainfully employed in a variety of industries”. According to Williams, unemployment in January 2017 was 12.7 compared with 13.3 per cent in January 2016.
Commenting on measures to facilitate economic growth and job creation, Williams said Jamaica is building out space for the Business Process Outsourcing sector, an industry that employs approximately 25,000 persons. She said the bauxite industry has started to see major investments of about US$2 billion. With this investment, she noted that 3,000 persons are expected to receive employment in the sector.
