Unemployment rate (annual) in Jamaica

International Monetary Fund · Annual · Importance

15.7% (1999) ANUAL · % · Annual · CSV

Period	%
Jan 1999	15.7%
Jan 1998	15.5%
Jan 1997	16.5%
Jan 1996	16.0%
Jan 1995	16.2%
Jan 1994	15.4%
Jan 1993	16.3%
Jan 1992	15.7%
Jan 1991	15.4%
Jan 1990	15.7%

About this indicator

Source

International Monetary Fund

Frequency

Annual

Release

Published annually, covering the full year and subject to revision.

What it is

Measures the share of Jamaica's labour force that is jobless and actively seeking work. Published by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), it is the headline gauge of its labour market.

How it's calculated

Derived as the unemployed divided by the labour force, in per cent, following ILO criteria, from the household labour force survey. The annual figure averages the year's rounds.

Market implications

A falling rate accompanies the recovery of an economy heavily reliant on tourism and remittances, and supports fiscal targets agreed with multilateral bodies. Its direct impact on Bank of Jamaica policy is smaller than that of inflation and the exchange rate.

Limitations

Informality and worker emigration distort the reading of unemployment. Annual survey data carry sampling error and revisions and do not capture underemployment.