Unemployment in Jamaica has continued on its downward trend, recording a new low of 8 per cent as at January 2019.

Director General of the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) Carol Coy, notes that unemployment declined by 1.6 percentage points compared to January last year.

Miss Coy explains that the overall decline was driven by a decline of almost 2 percentage points in the female unemployment figure.

Meantime, the employed labour force saw an increase.

Miss Coy says the occupation that saw the greatest increase was clerks, up by 12,000 people.

She adds that the increased employment in the occupation group ‘clerks’ was mainly females aged 20-24 and 25 – 34.

This group includes receptionists, market research interviewers, contact centre agents, bank tellers and travel consultants.

And, the Statin Director General says the number of people indicating they had no desire to be employed has decreased by some 13, 000.

Miss Coy notes that the labour force grew by point 4 per cent as at January 2019.