Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Jamaica
Jamaica: Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) was 7.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Jamaica, 1975–2023
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Jamaica is 7.8%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 29.1% on the previous year and down 62.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Jamaica peaked at 48.0% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 7.8%, in 2023.
Jamaica ranks 118th of 157 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 24.1% | — |
| 1976 | 27.7% | +14.5% |
| 1978 | 28.4% | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 48.0% | +69.0% |
| 1981 | 29.7% | -38.2% |
| 1982 | 32.3% | +8.7% |
| 1985 | 42.0% | +30.2% |
| 1988 | 33.7% | -19.7% |
| 1990 | 19.1% | -43.5% |
| 1992 | 17.9% | -6.1% |
| 1993 | 20.7% | +15.7% |
| 1994 | 18.7% | -9.8% |
| 1995 | 25.1% | +34.6% |
| 1996 | 23.5% | -6.5% |
| 1997 | 24.2% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 24.1% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 23.9% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 24.6% | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 16.7% | -32.2% |
| 2004 | 22.0% | +31.7% |
| 2008 | 14.0% | -36.4% |
| 2009 | 16.5% | +18.4% |
| 2010 | 17.7% | +7.3% |
| 2011 | 16.8% | -5.4% |
| 2012 | 18.1% | +8.0% |
| 2013 | 21.0% | +16.0% |
| 2014 | 19.9% | -5.5% |
| 2016 | 19.4% | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 17.0% | -12.4% |
| 2018 | 14.2% | -16.8% |
| 2019 | 11.8% | -16.9% |
| 2020 | 16.6% | +40.5% |
| 2021 | 13.3% | -19.6% |
| 2022 | 11.0% | -17.2% |
| 2023 | 7.8% | -29.1% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 7.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.6%, 57% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 7.8% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.7%, 61% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 26.7% | 24.1% | 28.4% | 3 |
| 1980s | 37.1% | 29.7% | 48.0% | 5 |
| 1990s | 21.9% | 17.9% | 25.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 18.8% | 14.0% | 24.6% | 5 |
| 2010s | 17.3% | 11.8% | 21.0% | 9 |
| 2020s | 12.2% | 7.8% | 16.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More work & labour data for Jamaica
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -1.76 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -1.69 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -1.83 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.25 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0152 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1,904 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 799.47 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 544.43 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 522.35 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1,067 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Jamaica?
- Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Jamaica was 7.8% in 2023, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 48.0% in 1980.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.8% in 2023.
- How does Jamaica rank for unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24)?
- Jamaica ranks 118th out of 157 countries with data for 2023.
- Is unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 62.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.