In 2009, more than 30,000 Jamaicans lost their jobs, and the figures are likely to increase in 2010.

In a recent statement issued at the ILO workshop “Jamaica's Job Pact for Economic Recovery” organized early March in Kingston, State Minister for Labour and Social Security Andrew Gallimore commended the Jobs Pact and its potential to generate jobs. "We believe that the job pact, if properly formulated, will result in helping to maintain jobs that may have been lost -- it will help to examine new opportunities for employment and provide creative jobs for persons who are separated from their jobs to deal with this very trying and challenging situation", Gallimore said.

Its successful implementation relies on the collaboration between all partners involved: government, employers and workers.

The workshop was organized to define the terms of the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) to be developed soon in Jamaica. Dr. Ana Teresa Romero, Director of the ILO's Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean, noted pledges of support of several international agencies (UNESCO, UNICEF) in establishing the DWCP framework. Aspects of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) relating to environmental sustainability, poverty eradication and social inclusion and the ILO Jobs Pact are key elements of the DWCP.

Pearnel Charles, Minister of Labour and Social Security, praised the International Labour Organization (ILO) for developing the Global Jobs Pact as a response to the prolonged global increase in unemployment. "Jamaica has benefited significantly from these efforts," he said in his message addressed to the 99th International Labour Conference in Geneva. The adoption of the Pact and the follow-up work done to consolidate support from the G20 countries and global partners, helped Jamaica secure a standby agreement from the IMF and complementary funding support from other international bodies, such as the IDB and the World Bank.

Key resources

Kingston Action Plan – The Caribbean Response to the Crisis

Jamaica – Country Factsheet

For more information on the job crisis and recovery in Jamaica, please visit the ILO Job Crisis Observatory.