The Government has a key role to play in creating an enabling environment that fosters productivity, says Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. “We have a central role… in terms of listening to the private sector, listening across government, ensuring that we are creating the environment that is enabling and collaborative, and that we are doing...

The Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) aims to reach underserved communities in St. Thomas through its Townhall slated for Tuesday, June 23, 2026. To be held at Colonel's Cove in Morant Bay, St. Thomas, the event is expected to last from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The Council’s Executive Director, Dr. Christine Hendricks, in an interview with JIS...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., has emphasised that Jamaica’s resilience in the face of several recent climate-related shocks has elevated productivity from a mere economic theory to a pillar of national survival. He outlined the devastation of Hurricane Melissa that caused approximately $1.95 trillion in damage (more than 50 per cent of Jamaica’s gross domestic...

Safeguarding Jamaica’s children from exploitation, particularly child labour, requires the active involvement of citizens, families, employers, and communities, says State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Donovan Williams. Speaking during the Ministry’s recent World Day Against Child Labour Jingle Competition Awards Ceremony at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston, Mr. Williams underscored that public vigilance...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. is appealing to members of the public to support the Good Samaritan 5K Run/Walk, geared at raising funds to procure a bus to support children with special needs. The bus, valued at over $6 million, will be used to transport Community-Based Rehabilitation Jamaica (CBRJ) staff as they visit various communities...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., has lauded the Jamaican Diaspora for its vital role in supporting the nation’s recovery following the passage of Hurricane Melissa. The Category Five hurricane made landfall on October 28, 2025, inflicting widespread damage across the western end of the island. Mr. Charles, whose Ministry chairs the Humanitarian Assistance Committee (HAC),...

Labour and Social Security Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., is calling on Jamaicans to be vigilant against child labour in their communities and report suspected cases of exploitation.  “You have persons moving from parish to parish that are exploited, trafficked, sent to people who they don’t know to do things that they shouldn’t be doing…it’s right here, sometimes right in...