Increased employment for construction professionals, senior officials and technicians

KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) January 2021 Labour Force Survey (LFS) is showing increased employment for the construction industry and the ‘professionals, senior officials and technicians’ occupational group.

Details of the findings were outlined by Director General, Carol Coy, during the institute’s digital quarterly briefing yesterday.

Coy advised that the number of people employed in the construction industry increased by 7,700 or 7.2 per cent to 115,300, while an additional 2,500 individuals joined the ranks of the professionals, senior officials and technicians group, pushing the complement to 271,800.

“The increase in this [professionals, senior officials and technicians] group was due to the increase in the employment of males,” she noted.

Meanwhile, other industry groups recorded declines, with accommodation and food service down 27,400 persons or 24.7 per cent; arts, entertainment, recreation and other services, 18,800 or 14.5 per cent; and the wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, had 15,400 fewer individuals, representing a 5.9 per cent decline.

Within the occupation groups, service workers and shop and market sales workers recorded the largest decrease in employed people of 38,900 or 12.9 per cent, relative to January 2020, with females (23,900) accounting for the majority of the decline.

“The second largest decrease was in craft and related workers, which fell by 14,700 individuals or 9.3 per cent, to 143,800. Males (13,600) accounted for the majority of the decline,” Coy indicated.

The total number of individuals in jobs, based on the January 2021 Labour Force Survey, was 1,194,800.

The number is 74,300 or 5.9 per cent lower than the 1,269,100 people employed for the corresponding month last year.

Source: Jamaica Observer