KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) –The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) is reporting a further reduction in the unemployment rate to a new record low of 7.8 percent.

As contained in STATIN’s April 2019 Labour Force Survey, the figure is two percentage points lower than the 9.8 percent recorded for the corresponding period last year, and 0.2 percent lower than the out-turn for January.

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Director-General, Carol Coy, said the number of unemployed persons as at April fell by 25,900 or 19.7 percent to 105,900, relative to 2018.

“Male unemployment rate declined by 1.8 percentage points to 5.5 percent, while the corresponding figure for females fell by 2.1 percentage points to 10.6 percent.

“The number of unemployed males decreased by 13,000 to 39,900 in April 2019. Over the same period, the number of unemployed females was 65,600; this was a decline of 12,900,” Coy said.

“Unemployment rate for youth, aged 14 to 24, fell by 6.4 percentage points from 25.9 percent in April 2018, to 19.5 percent this year. The unemployment rate for male youth declined by 6.4 percentage points to 14.5 percent, while the rate for female youth declined by…

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