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13.3 Per Cent Increase in Work Permit Applications Last Year

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security received 5,651 work permit applications in 2024, an increase of 13.3 per cent compared with 2023. Of the applications received, 3,080 were for renewal and 2,571 were for new permits. The information is...
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr.
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr.

Ministry Launches App to Assist Persons with Disabilities
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. (seventh right), joins award recipients at the Industrial Disputes Tribunal’s (IDT) 50th Anniversary Luncheon and Awards Ceremony held on July 11 at the Courtleigh Hotel and Suites in New Kingston. Also sharing the moment are Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dione Jennings (seventh left), and former Labour Minister, Pearnel Charles Sr. (eighth left).
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. (seventh right), joins award recipients at the Industrial Disputes Tribunal’s (IDT) 50th Anniversary Luncheon and Awards Ceremony held on July 11 at the Courtleigh Hotel and Suites in New Kingston. Also sharing the moment are Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dione Jennings (seventh left), and former Labour Minister, Pearnel Charles Sr. (eighth left).

Gov’t Aligning Labour with Global Trends While Safeguarding Rights – Minister Charles Jr.
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., engages in conversation with (from left) Tamoya Thompson, Gabrielle Whittingham, Laurie Green and Janiella Wilson, at the Juici Patties Youth Leadership Workshop & Volunteerism Programme at The Verandah in Clarendon on Tuesday (July 8).
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., engages in conversation with (from left) Tamoya Thompson, Gabrielle Whittingham, Laurie Green and Janiella Wilson, at the Juici Patties Youth Leadership Workshop & Volunteerism Programme at The Verandah in Clarendon on Tuesday (July 8).

Students Urged to Uphold Discipline
State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn (seated left), Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dione Jennings (centre), and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Deputy Country Representative, Mohammad Mohiuddin, share a moment with Early Stimulation Programme (ESP) graduate, Suewayne Watson. The occasion was the ESP graduation ceremony, held at the Apostolic Church of Jamaica, Bethel Temple, in downtown Kingston on Wednesday (July 9).
State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn (seated left), Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dione Jennings (centre), and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Deputy Country Representative, Mohammad Mohiuddin, share a moment with Early Stimulation Programme (ESP) graduate, Suewayne Watson. The occasion was the ESP graduation ceremony, held at the Apostolic Church of Jamaica, Bethel Temple, in downtown Kingston on Wednesday (July 9).

ESP Celebrates 74 Graduates with Disabilities Transitioning to Primary School

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Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. (second left), shares a symbolic handshake with General Manager of JN Money Services, Horace Hines (third left), during Wednesday’s (July 9) launch of the Jamaica National (JN) Fields of Opportunity Scholarships, held at the JN Financial Centre on Belmont Road in Kingston. Sharing the moment (from left) are Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dionne Jennings; and Assistant General Manager of JN Money Services, Sanya Wallace.
Labour Day 2023Social Security

Children of Farm Workers in Canada to Get Scholarships From JN Money Services

Jamaica National (JN) Money Services has launched a $500,000 scholarship programme for children of farm workers on the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme (SAWP) in Canada. Six scholarships – two at each educational level – will be awarded: $50,000 for primary, $75,000 for secondary and $125,000 for tertiary. The JN Fields of Opportunity Scholarships was launched on Wednesday (July 9) at...
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Economic Growth & Infrastructure DevelopmentSocial SecurityYouth

NCR Received Nearly 14,000 Child Protection Reports in 2024

The National Children’s Registry (NCR) received 13,918 reports in 2024 relating to 25,005 incidents of abuse and other care and protection concerns. This reflects a decrease of 212 reports compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, as outlined in the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) Economic and Social Survey Jamaica (ESSJ) 2024. The document explained that the total...
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Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) Logo.
Economic Growth & Infrastructure DevelopmentSocial Security

System of National Accounts Updated

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) is reporting that the Jamaican System of National Accounts has been updated to reflect international best practices, enhancing comparability and analytic relevance. The revisions to the Jamaican System of National Accounts include aligning the national accounts with the United Nations System of National Accounts 2008 (SNA 2008), adoption of the 2016 revision of the...
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Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr.
LabourSocial Security

$1b Solidarity Programme Underscores Gov’t’s Equity Agenda – Minister Charles Jr

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., says the $1-billion Solidarity Programme reflects the Government’s unwavering commitment to social justice, equity and the advancement of inclusive development for all Jamaicans. “The Solidarity Programme is not just about the cash grant. It is about dignity, visibility and access,” he said in a statement to the House of Representatives...
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Director, Local Economic Development, Social Development Commission (SDC), Avril Ranger provides details about the SDC
LabourLocal GovernmentSocial Security

Nearly 400 Grassroots Businesses Benefit Annually From SDC’s LEDSP

Nearly 400 grassroots businesses are receiving vital support annually to grow, formalise and thrive through the Social Development Commission’s (SDC) Local Economic Development Support Programme (LEDSP). Director, Local Economic Development at SDC, Avril Ranger told a recent JIS Think Tank that the programme began in May 2015 and has since become a vital source of technical assistance and capacity-building for...
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Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, delivers the keynote address during Wednesday’s (June 25) launch of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s Solidarity Programme at Jamaica House
LabourPrime MinisterSocial SecurityTechnology

Gov’t Launches $1b Solidarity Programme to Support 50,000 Vulnerable Jamaicans

Fifty thousand vulnerable Jamaicans are set to benefit from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s $1-billion Solidarity Programme. The initiative was launched by Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, on Wednesday (June 25) at Jamaica House. The Solidarity Programme will target the elderly; unattached youth, aged 18 to 35; persons with disabilities; informal and low-income workers; medically...
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Chair of the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC), Dr. Julian McKoy-Davis, addresses participants at the NCSC’s Elder Abuse Awareness Seminar on Friday (June 13) at Stella Maris Catholic Church in St. Andrew. The event was in observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, commemorated annually on June 15.
LabourNational SecuritySocial Security

NCSC Chair Urges Action to Protect Jamaica’s Seniors from Abuse

Chair of the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC), Dr. Julian McKoy-Davis, has underscored the urgent need for proactive measures to safeguard older adults and combat elder abuse in Jamaica. She was speaking during an Elder Abuse Awareness Seminar held in observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, commemorated annually on June 15. The seminar, which served as a platform...
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