The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) advises that the current highlights of the October 2023 Labour Force Survey findings are compared with the October 2021 survey results to indicate the changes that have occurred. This is due to the fact that a Labour Force Survey was not undertaken in October 2022 because of the implementation of the 2022 Population &...

Employers are being warned against the misuse of fixed-term contracts and to abide by the country’s labour laws. Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., made the appeal during a Labour Advisory Council Sub-Committee Focus Group workshop on ‘Fixed Term Contracts’, at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston, on January 16. Fixed-term employment is a contract...

Jamaica has been commended by the International Labour Organization (ILO) for strides made in addressing child labour. Speaking with JIS News, Programme Officer for the Regional Initiative, Latin America and the Caribbean Free of Child Labour, Resel Melville, said that Jamaica has served as a Pathfinder Country in the global fight against the scourge. These are States that are taking...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., says concerns are being raised regarding the increasing number of Jamaican workers absconding on the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme (SAWP) in Canada. “I am calling on Members of Parliament (MPs) to make sure that you have this conversation with your constituents. When we have our Jamaican workers go on the...

The Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) has hailed the first ever justice fair, hosted for persons with disabilities, a success. The event, which was held in December, was hosted in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice. Corporate Communications and Public Relations Manager at the JCPD, Adrienne Pinnock, told JIS News that the fair was well received by members...

Eleven vendors, who suffered losses from the recent fire at the Old Shoe Market in Montego Bay, St. James, have received $60,000 each from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to aid in the recovery process. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., who handed over the cheques on Monday (January 8), said the vendors are the first batch that...

The Government is working with its counterpart in Canada to improve the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme (SAWP). Almost 10,000 Jamaicans benefited under the programme in Canada during last year. “We are working here as your government, in collaboration with the government of Canada, to make sure that we improve in the selection, in the orientation, [and] in the management process,”...

A total of 16,051 of the country’s older residents are registered with the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC). In addition, more than 800 seniors are being served under the NCSC’s Meals on Wheels feeding programme. Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., made the disclosure to JIS News as he gave an update on programmes and...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., has underscored the importance of a study conducted by the University of the West Indies (UWI) that assessed the quality of life of the disabled on the island. Addressing a recent Disability Assessment in Jamaica sensitisation workshop at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in St. James, the Minister...