Jamaica’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr., says Jamaica must close its productivity gap if it is to secure its future.

Speaking at the launch of three Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC) toolkits in St. Andrew, he stressed that efficiency is a choice. “Productivity requires very deliberate, strategic approaches,” he said, urging Jamaicans to work with focus and intention.

He pointed out that labour productivity in Jamaica has risen only 0.3 percent per year, falling behind countries like Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. The gap, he said, is not because of a lack of talent or knowledge of technology, but rather how resources are used.

Despite this, he highlighted gains in other areas: unemployment is now at a record low of 3.3 percent, youth unemployment has dropped from nearly 30 percent in 2016 to 12.3 percent, and the poverty rate has been cut in half since 2021, down to 8.2 percent.

The new toolkits, aimed at students, businesses, and government services, are designed to help people measure and improve productivity in practical ways. Charles also drew a clear line between activity and results: “Everybody is busy, but I wonder who is really productive.”

Source: Jamaica GIS.