The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) has reported that the country’s unemployment rate stood at 3.6 per cent in January 2026, down slightly from 3.7 per cent recorded in January 2025. According to STATIN, the total number of unemployed persons declined to 51,500, compared with 54,500 in January 2025. However, in the parishes most affected by Hurricane Melissa, unemployment rose...

The Jamaican economy grew by 5.1 per cent for the July to September quarter of 2025, Director General of the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), Leesha Delatie-Budair, has reported. She also informed that for the first two quarters of 2025, the economy grew by 1.1 per cent, and 1.7 per cent, respectively. The Director General was addressing STATIN’s quarterly press...

Entrepreneurs, especially those based in western Jamaica, are being encouraged to take advantage of the training and business support programmes offered through the Young Women and Men of Purpose (YWOP/YMOP). Founder and Executive Director, Lanisia Rhoden, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to equipping both aspiring and established entrepreneurs with the tools needed to build and grow sustainable businesses. “Persons who are...

Jamaica is being urged to craft a strategic roadmap that reimagines its economic model, enabling the nation to better withstand external shocks, particularly those driven by climate change. The call was made by President and Founder of Washington-DC-based data analytics and business consulting company NoBrainerData, Dr. José Miguel Guzmán, as he addressed the recent Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) Dialogue...

The Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) has launched its new Canine Programme, equipped with 12 staff and eight specially trained dogs that can detect firearms, ammunition, narcotics, currency and other illegal items at Jamaica’s ports. The approximately US$600,000 investment represents a crucial milestone in the JCA’s mission to safeguard the nation’s borders and facilitate safe and secure trade and travel. It...

Government Senator, Keith Duncan, has reaffirmed the Administration’s commitment to fiscal responsibility, emphasising efforts to manage the country’s debt while implementing critical programmes and policies that safeguard and enhance the quality of life for Jamaicans. Making his contribution to the Appropriation Bill 2026 debate in the Upper House on March 27, Senator Duncan affirmed that the Government will continue to...

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is encouraging micro entrepreneurs in communities to reach out for support under its Community Renewal Programme, as part of efforts to strengthen grassroots business development. Technical Specialist for Socio-Economic Development at the PIOJ, Charmaine Brimm, said the initiative is designed to connect underserved entrepreneurs with the resources and partnerships needed to grow their enterprises....