One in Four Young Jamaicans Is Not Working or Studying: What the Figures Show
A quarter of young Jamaicans are not in work, education or training, according to the latest figures from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN). Youth unemployment looks better than it did, but mainly because thousands of young people have stopped looking for work altogether. Here is what the numbers mean, and the practical routes back in for young people and the employers who want to hire them.
The headline numbers
STATIN's July 2026 Labour Force Survey puts the youth unemployment rate at 9.7% and the youth NEET rate (young people Not in Education, Employment or Training) at 25.1% (STATIN). In other words, roughly one in four young people is neither working nor learning.
At first glance, youth unemployment has improved. The number of unemployed young people fell by 2,300 to 18,200 compared with July 2025. But as Mayberry Investments points out in its summary of the survey, that lower figure largely reflects young people leaving the labour force rather than finding jobs.
The other numbers back this up:
- Fewer young people in work. 169,500 young people were employed in July 2026, 6.4% fewer than a year earlier (Mayberry).
- More young people outside the labour force. STATIN found 21,800 more people outside the labour force overall, and said this was largely due to an additional 14,800 young people leaving it (Mayberry).
- A tough spring. In the April survey, youth unemployment had risen to 11.7%, up 1.6 percentage points on a year earlier (Jamaica Gleaner).
Why it is happening
Hurricane Melissa hit the economy hard, and young people often feel a downturn first. The Planning Institute of Jamaica reported that the economy shrank 2.9% in the April to June quarter, with big falls in agriculture, mining and accommodation and food services, all sectors that hire many young workers (Gleaner). The PIOJ expects the economy to return to growth in the October to December quarter, helped by reconstruction and public investment.
A young person who stops looking for work is not counted as unemployed, so a falling rate can hide real hardship. That is why the NEET rate is worth watching.
Routes back in for young people
The HEART/NSTA Trust runs several programmes aimed squarely at young people who want to earn experience:
- HOPE National Service Corps: for unattached youth aged 17 to 29, offering an apprenticeship-style placement with training in a marketable skill, lasting six months to a year.
- School Leavers' Training Opportunities Programme (SLTOP): a one-year, on-the-job placement in a firm for recent school leavers aged 17 to 23.
- Registered Apprenticeship Programme: one to four years of on-the-job learning in a trade, for people who have completed secondary school to at least grade 9 level.
- Graduate Work Experience Programme: for graduates aged 17 to 29 with little or no experience in their field.
HEART's applicant guide says its general admissions run three times a year, in May, September and January, and that first-time applicants take a free career assessment. If your reading or maths is holding you back, its Adult Basic Education programme is also free.
What employers can do
If you run a business and are finding it hard to hire, young people who have dropped out of the labour force are an untapped pool. Taking on an apprentice, SLTOP trainee or graduate through HEART gives a young person a start and gives you a worker trained in your way of doing things. Clear job adverts that spell out the duties, hours and training on offer also help young applicants see that a job is within reach.
The next update
STATIN's advance release calendar shows October 2026 employment and unemployment figures due on 31 December 2026 (STATIN). That release will show whether the recovery is starting to pull young people back into work.
Sources: STATIN key indicators and release calendar; Mayberry Investments, 1 October 2026; Jamaica Gleaner, 19 August 2026; HEART/NSTA Trust on-the-job learning; HEART/NSTA Trust applicant guide.