Advancement In Science, Technology, Innovation

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is reporting significant advancement in the country’s Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) sector.

As stated in the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica (ESSJ) 2024, the sector recorded measurable progress across several key areas, including policy development, regulatory strengthening, digital transformation, research and development (R&D), and improvements to the national quality infrastructure.

The gains are seen as critical to enhancing Jamaica’s competitiveness and resilience in a rapidly evolving global economy.

With respect to digital transformation, the ESSJ highlighted continued expansion under the National Broadband Project and the Jamaica Connect Programme.

Approximately 650 schools, 140 ministries, departments and agencies, and 40 additional government entities benefited from improved internet access. The initiatives were further supported by the launch of 64 community Wi-Fi hotspots and five public Wi-Fi hotspots, expanding connectivity across underserved areas.

The ESSJ noted that national efforts remained firmly aligned with the Medium-Term Socio-Economic Policy Framework (MTF) 2021–2024, underscoring the Government’s continued commitment to sustainable, innovation-driven growth.

The ESSJ also provided an update on demographic trends, noting that Jamaica’s population declined slightly by 0.1 per cent to an estimated 2,700,400 persons at the end of 2024.

Of the total, males accounted for 1,336,700 (49.5 per cent), while females represented 1,363,700 (50.5 per cent). The country continued to exhibit characteristics of the later stages of demographic transition, including low fertility and mortality rates, resulting in slow or negative population growth.

The report indicated that a declining child population (ages 0-14), combined with net migration losses, below-replacement fertility rates, and population ageing, is reshaping the national demographic structure.

These trends are expected to have long-term implications for labour supply, economic productivity, and social services.

In the labour market, significant methodological changes were implemented in the Jamaica Labour Force Survey (LFS), incorporating recommendations from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

These revisions included updated definitions and classifications of employment, now defined strictly as work performed for pay or profit, excluding subsistence and unpaid activities. Additional changes improved the measurement of labour underutilisation and adjusted the reference week and minimum working age to 15 years.

As a result of these updates, the 2024 labour data are not directly comparable with previous years. The employed labour force was recorded at 1,417,000 persons, while 51,300 individuals were classified as unemployed, reflecting an unemployment rate of 3.5 per cent.

The stricter definition of unemployment now requires individuals to be without work, actively seeking employment, and available to work.