1,232 Jobseekers Placed Through Labour Ministry’s Electronic Labour Exchange in 2024

A total of 1,232 jobseekers were placed in local employment through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s Electronic Labour Exchange (ELE) in 2024.

The ELE operates a job-matching system that links prospective employers with employees through a web-based medium.

According to the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica (ESSJ), 2024, male placements increased by 16.3 per cent to 400, while female placements declined by 24.1 per cent to 832.

Despite the larger decline, the document notes that females continued to account for the majority of all placements, representing 67.5 per cent of the total.

“Of the four administrative regions of the Ministry – Kingston, St Ann, Manchester, and St James – Kingston registered the highest share of overall placements (44.2 per cent). Nevertheless, placements in this region declined by ]45.5 per cent to 544. Conversely, placements increased in the other administrative regions, with St. Ann recording the largest percentage increase, moving by 101.9 per cent to 212,” the survey states.

“This was followed by Manchester, which increased 86.7 per cent to 196, and the St. James region, increasing 21.2 per cent to 280. The increases in St Ann and St. James can be attributed to Ministry-led roadshows/job fairs,” it adds.

The document further notes that the roadshow in St. Ann featured approximately 30 employers, while in St. James, more than 50 employers participated, actively seeking to place persons in the hotel, security and business process outsourcing sectors.

Similarly, a job fair was hosted in Manchester that featured 10 companies offering more than 160 vacancies.