Handling of Economy Results in Low Unemployment – PM

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is crediting the Government’s handling of the economy for the decrease in Jamaica’s unemployment rate.

“In these difficult times, what you want is steady management and steady leadership. You want a government that can see beyond the crisis and ensure that we don’t do things in our economy that will destroy it,” he said.

Mr. Holness was addressing the official handover ceremony for New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) units to two beneficiaries in Cave Valley, St. Ann, on August 19.

According to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica’s (STATIN) April 2022 Labour Force Survey, Jamaica’s unemployment rate fell to a new record low of six per cent, which was 0.2 percentage point lower than the figure for January 2022.

“Now, in the midst of a crisis, fuel and food prices going up… and I know everybody is feeling it, but in the midst of the crisis, the Government’s steady handling of the economy has resulted in unemployment going down,” Mr. Holness argued.

The Prime Minister also outlined that the Government has put social safety net support in place on electricity.

“For those people who consume below a certain threshold, we put a certain amount of money on their electricity bill, and some of you are seeing it on your bills every month when it comes,” he added.

“We give food packages to the Members of Parliament through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF)… they are helping. We [also] give special support to the taxi drivers and the transport sector, we give support to small businesses, especially people who are in entertainment who got a big hit during [the] COVID-19 [pandemic]; there are special loan windows for them. So, what we are doing is targetting our social safety net… targetting the people who really need it,” Mr. Holness noted.

The Prime Minister said the biggest help every independent Jamaican would want in a time of crisis, if they are not employed and don’t have a livelihood, is to get a job and get some income and “that is what this Government has been doing.”

Mr. Holness officially handed over six NSHP units across St. Ann on August 19.