The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) is reporting a 10.8 per cent reduction in the number of employed persons as at July 2020, relative to the corresponding period last year. This decline in employment has been largely attributed by labour analysts to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on economic activity in Jamaica, which recorded its first confirmed case...

The Board of Directors of the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) has signed off on amendments to be made to the Statistics Act. This was disclosed by the Director General at STATIN, Carol Coy, at a JIS Think Tank at the agency’s head office in Kingston on October 13. “We are now in discussion with our parent ministry – the...

Local users of geographic information systems (GIS) are being invited to test and provide feedback on the National Spatial Planning Information Technology (NSPIT) Platform, which is in the final stages of completion. The platform will be used for the dissemination of planning information to guide spatial development at the national and local levels. It will be accessible to the general...

Jamaica received US$2.1 billion in Official Development Assistance (ODA) from International Development Partners (IDP) to advance the Government’s strategic objectives and priorities under the 2018-2021 Medium Term Socio-Economic Policy Framework (MTF). As contained in the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s (PIOJ) 2019 Economic and Social Survey, the provision was part of an overall US$2.2 billion, which included counterpart funding by the...

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) will commemorate World Ozone Day on September 16 with virtual events, to limit physical interactions, and is encouraging public participation. “Every year we try our best to go out to schools, do our promotional activities, but because of COVID-19 we have to do everything online. So, for this year, we are doing everything...

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is reporting that the economy contracted by an estimated 18 per cent for the April to June quarter, relative to the corresponding period last year. Director General, Dr. Wayne Henry, in his quarterly report on Wednesday (September 9), said the out-turn was largely due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and measures implemented...

The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, MEGJC, has implemented protocols consistent with COVID-19 guidelines after an officer tested positive for COVID-19 at one of its locations in Kingston. The officer has been away from work for more than a week; however, the COVID-19 positive test result was returned today. Permanent Secretary at the MEGJC, Mrs. Audrey Sewell says...