THE LARGE number of young males, who lined up last week, due to the recruitment drive undertaken by the Jamaica Defence Force, cannot be a surprise, given the current labour market where there are more job seekers than job offers. Indeed, we saw it earlier in the year, when large numbers of both sexes, turned up for limited flight attendant job offers at the Jamaica Conference Centre. Many persons are truly singing the 'unemployment blues'.
The above confirms that denting the unemployment rate substantially, will be the only true measure that will confirm that economic recovery is well and truly under way.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
The official unemployment rate in Jamaica stands at a little above 14 per cent, having hovered between 14-15 for the last five years. We may query this rate, given how the unemployment rate is computed, as against the job-seeking rate, but nevertheless we still have too much idle labour existing in the economy. Reducing this rate, especially among the youngest set of workers and potential workers, must be done, to also alleviate the social pressures that having them unemployed causes.
A high level of unemployed young women (who are at their most fertile time for child-bearing) is likely to increase the country's population growth rate, while a high level of unemployed young males (who are at their most active period, for good or bad) is likely to contribute to an escalating crime rate.
Young persons (defined as between 18-25 years of age) have usually had the highest unemployment rate of any age distribution group. This is largely because of their inexperience. In addition the modest wage/salary offers for the types of jobs that many tend to do, do not always appeal to this 'I want it now' generation.
Too many of those young males, who don't get jobs in the formal economy, seem to be relying on income earned from the informal economy (selling products, driving buses or 'robot taxis') and other illegal or highly criminal activities. Too many of these young females are also opting for the same kind of income options, ranging from escort services (for the more reasonable educated ones), to go-go dancing and massage services, among other sexual-related types. Indeed, some of the job offers for young ladies to be employed on modelling assignments and carnival promotions, as well as entertainment co-ordinators, seem to be bordering on exploitation of females, in my view.
JOB MARKET
The 'stagnant' job market is also encouraging some of our brighter young ones to migrate, where the cost-benefits of remittances sent pale against the loss of highly trained and expensively trained workers. Jamaica has to increase its job creation strategies, both in the public and private sector (especially this sector) to offer more job opportunities for the next generation of workers. It may mean promoting more entrepreneurial activities, like entertainment services and music/video services; promoting non-traditional export ventures (agricultural and non-agricultural); and all kinds of personal services (e.g. grocery shopping for seniors; child pick-ups from schools by designated persons), but we cannot allow the unemployment situation to continue to drag on in 2004.
