6, 000 More BPO Jobs Since COVID-19

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry is on a continuous growth path, with the number of persons employed increasing from approximately 48, 000 prior to the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, to over 54,000 to date.

He further said there are prospects of engaging up to 300,000 persons over the long-term.

Prime Minister Holness noted that the job opportunities go beyond call centre operations to incorporate knowledge services, which require advanced analytical and technical skills.

He said Jamaica is “well placed” to deliver the various services, which include back-office operations such as the reviewing of legal and medical documents, booking of flights, and high-value programming and coding, and data operations.

“Jamaica is entering all the levels of the BPO industry,” the Prime Minister pointed out.

Mr. Holness was speaking at the recent groundbreaking ceremony for the $1.2 billion K & T Development BPO Complex in Mandeville, Manchester.

The project, being undertaken by local businessman Kenneth Black, is expected to generate jobs for young people in the parish.

Prime Minister Holness commended the investors for embarking on the undertaking, noting that it will add value to the economy and create opportunities for persons to “transform their lives.”

The facility will feature four floors that occupy 80,000 square feet of space, with 20,000 square feet reserved for parking.

Jamaica has the largest BPO market in the region, covering telecommunications, banking, insurance, healthcare, finance and accounting, gaming, and tech support.

The country has had a strong track record in attracting investments in the sector through consistently demonstrating the capacity to provide high quality service in areas such as customer care, human resource outsourcing (HRO), receivables management, technical helpdesk support, outbound sales, and lead generation.