Davies FOR THE first three quarters of 2000, the average earnings per week for a Jamaican employee in a large establishment was $7,278. This represented an 11.3 per cent increase over the 1999 figure, the Statistical Institute of Jamaica has said.
But, in terms of wage earners (those below the category supervisor/foreman who are engaged in the production pro-cess, and including persons involved in construction, maintenance and warehousing/delivery as well as security guards and office maids) their average earnings only moved to $4,039, up from $3,674 the previous year, an average 9.9 per cent increase.
STATIN's Employment, Earnings and Hours Worked in Large Establishments (1999-2000) report, was tabled in the House of Representatives last Wednesday by Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies.
The quarterly survey covers a total of 1,064 establishments (out of a total of approximately 2,174) involved in mining, manufacturing, private construction, electricity, distribution, transportation and other service sectors employing ten or more persons. Free zone establishments are excluded, as are establishments in agriculture and government, with the exception of the National Water Commission and the Jamaica Public Service Company which are included because of their importance to the national economy.
The report said that for the first three quarters of 2000, the average earnings per week for an employee in large establishments was $7,278, an 11.3 per cent increase over the same period of 1999 when average income per week was estimated at $6,538. In 1998, the figure was $5,810.
The transport, storage, and communications sector continued to pay the highest rates with an average rate of $15,247 per week followed by the electricity, gas and water sector at $11,489 per week and the mining sector at $10,097.
The lowest rates were recorded, as usual, in trade, hotels and restaurants ($4,719), manufacturing ($5,287) and community, social and personal services (excluding private educational services) which paid an average of $5,485 per week. The average earnings were influenced by the composition of the employees of different grades at various points in time, and included overtime.
All sectors had increases in average earnings per week for all employed persons in large establishments for the first three quarters of 2000. The community, social and personal services group had the largest increase of 20.8 per cent. The manufacturing sector was next with 13.7 per cent, followed by the finance, insurance, real estate and business services sector with 12.3 per cent. All other sectors had increases below 10.6 per cent when compared with the similar period in 1999.
All major wage earning categories had increases in 2000, except for those in electricity, gas, water and construction which declined by between four and 0.8 per cent.
