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Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Jamaica (RATIFICATION: 1975)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Adoption of a national employment policy. The Committee recalls that it has been requesting information in relation to the Final Draft Employment Policy Concept Paper and the development of a National Employment Policy (NEP) since 2011, when it noted that the NEP was expected to be issued in 2013. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the Concept Paper is still being drafted and that the NEP will be developed once the draft Paper is finalized and approved by the Cabinet. The Committee notes that, while the NEP has not been adopted, the annual performance report 2019–20 of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Annual Performance Report 2019–20) makes reference to the NEP, describing its strategic objectives as including increased local and overseas employment opportunities, and increased accessibility to the Ministry’s services and benefits through re-engineered business processes for major programmes. Noting the central obligation of the Convention to declare and pursue a national employment policy for the promotion of employment and decent work, the Committee trusts that the Government will take the necessary measures to finalize the Final Draft Employment Policy Concept Paper and develop the National Employment Policy, in consultation with the social partners and relevant stakeholders, without delay. It requests the Government to keep it informed of the measures taken and progress made in this respect.

Active labour market measures. Impact of COVID-19. The Committee previously requested the Government to provide detailed information regarding improvements made to the Labour Market Information System (LMIS), particularly on measures taken or envisaged to improve access to information for jobseekers and to ensure the matching of labour supply and demand, as well as to provide information on the labour market situation. The Government reports that it has taken steps to enhance the LMIS, including through the launch of a mobile application in 2019, which has generated an increase in the number of jobseekers between 2018 and 2019. The Government also refers to other measures taken, including partnerships to increase the supply of jobs in the LMIS, the organisation of job fairs, and activities of the Human Employment and Resource Training Trust/ National Training Agency (HEART Trust NTA) to expand access to the labour market demand through training, certification and job placement opportunities. The Government further reports that 3,079 jobseekers were placed in employment between April 2018 and 2019. The Committee notes that, according to the LMIS, the total unemployment rate in 2019 stood at 7.2 per cent (representing 6 per cent for men and 8.6 per cent for women), while the overall labour force participation rate was 64.5 per cent (70.9 per cent for men and 58.3 per cent for women).

The Committee notes that, according to a 2021 report from the World Bank, while the health impact of the pandemic has not been as severe in Jamaica as in some countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant socio-economic impact, particularly on the tourism sector, which contributes approximately 30 per cent of GDP and supplies one-third of all jobs. The report indicates that Jamaica’s real GDP was expected to contract by 11.6 per cent in fiscal year 2020-21 and it was estimated that 150,000 jobs were lost between January 2020 and July 2020. In the framework of the Universal Periodic Review, the Government has also indicated in 2020 that the COVID-19 pandemic had exacerbated many socioeconomic development challenges (A/HRC/46/18, 21 December 2020, paragraph 6). The Annual Performance Report 2019–20 includes information on a number of measures taken by the Ministry in this context, including the establishment of a COVID-19 hotline. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information, including statistical data disaggregated by sex and age, on the situation of the labour market, including employment, unemployment and underemployment rates. The Government is also requested to provide information on the nature and impact of any further measures taken to improve the LMIS. In addition, the Committee invites the Government to provide information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market, including statistical data disaggregated by sex, age, and economic sector, and on measures taken or envisaged to address the challenges encountered. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on lessons learned from the crisis, including on the nature and impact of response and recovery measures taken.

Youth employment. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government with respect to programmes designed to increase opportunities for young Jamaicans, including the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment Programme, which has a training and apprenticeship component, and the Hope Youth Summer Work Programme, which enables young people to benefit from paid work experience. The Government also indicates that the HEART Trust NTA continues to provide core skills training to young people, and to support them in transitioning into further educational pursuits, entrepreneurial activities, or job placements. The Committee further notes that the Annual Performance Report 2019–20 of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security refers to additional activities, such as the Social Intervention Programme, which includes a short-term employment component, through which young persons between 18 and 35 are employed for a period of six months, as well as a component offering educational and entrepreneurship grants. The Committee notes, however, that while youth unemployment rates have decreased between 2017 and 2019, it remains higher than the overall unemployment rates in the country, at 21.1 per cent in 2019, according to the LMIS database. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated detailed information on the nature and impact of measures taken to promote access to sustainable employment and decent work for young women and men, including statistics on youth employment and unemployment rates, disaggregated by age and sex.

Women. In response to its previous comments on the impact of vocational education and guidance programmes on increasing the participation of women in the labour market, the Government refers to a number of initiatives that have been implemented to improve the participation of women in the labour market. These include continuous training programmes developed and implemented by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), aimed at helping women farmers identify income-earning opportunities and develop small businesses. In addition, the Committee notes the Government’s reference to strategies and programmes developed to promote female entrepreneurship through capacity building in ICT, financial and business training. The Government also indicates that the Women’s Entrepreneurship Support Project awards women grants, funding and training. In response to the Committee’s request for information on measures taken to facilitate the transition of women workers from the informal economy to the formal labour market, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that the MLSS launched an initiative in 2018, in collaboration with the ILO, to develop an Action Plan to transition Household Workers and Fishers to the Formal Economy. The Committee notes that, according to a 2021 report of the World Bank, the rise in unemployment from 5.3 per cent in January 2020 to 12.6 per cent in July 2020 has reinforced existing gender disparities, with unemployment rates for women standing at 14 per cent during this period, while the rate for men was 11.5 per cent. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the abovementioned initiatives in terms of improving women’s participation in the labour force and their transition from the informal economy to the formal labour market. The Committee also refers the Government to its comments adopted in 2020 under the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111).

Persons with disabilities. The Committee previously requested information on measures taken to improve the employability of persons with disabilities and on their impact, including on whether the HEART Trust NTA training programme promotes access to the open labour market for persons with disabilities. In this respect, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that HEART Trust training institutions enrolled 386 persons with disabilities during 2018–19. The Government further refers to the placement into work of 386 persons with disabilities after being trained with key employability skills and assigned job coaches under the Empowerment Programme. The Committee also notes that the Annual Performance Report 2019–20 states that the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) is responsible for the implementation of policies and programmes for persons with disabilities. In this respect, the Annual Performance Report 2019–20 included results achieved on various objectives promoting the education, training and employment of persons with disabilities, including the number of persons who received rehabilitation grants, and the number of awareness-raising activities conducted regarding the Disabilities Act. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the nature and impact of measures taken to promote access to the open labour market for persons with disabilities, including on the programmes implemented by the JCPD. The Committee also refers the Government to its comments adopted in 2020 under the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111).

Article 3. Consultation with the social partners. The Government reports that it continues to address labour market issues through the tripartite Labour Advisory Council. It adds that, in an effort to increase the supply of jobs in the LMIS database, the MLSS has been partnering with employers from the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and growth industries, such as Tourism and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the nature and outcome of consultations held with the social partners with respect to the formulation of a national employment policy, as well as on the manner in which the views of persons affected by the measures to be taken are taken into account.