Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Jamaica
Jamaica: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 3.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Jamaica, 1969–2023
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Jamaica stood at 3.0%. That is the lowest value across all 52 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 26.0% on the previous year and down 68.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Jamaica peaked at 35.5% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 2023.
That places Jamaica 146th out of 185 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 17.6% | — |
| 1972 | 23.2% | +31.9% |
| 1973 | 22.1% | -4.7% |
| 1974 | 20.1% | -9.0% |
| 1975 | 19.7% | -2.3% |
| 1976 | 21.8% | +11.0% |
| 1977 | 24.2% | +10.7% |
| 1978 | 23.7% | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 27.6% | +16.2% |
| 1980 | 35.5% | +28.8% |
| 1981 | 25.0% | -29.6% |
| 1982 | 26.7% | +6.8% |
| 1983 | 26.4% | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 25.5% | -3.3% |
| 1985 | 33.4% | +30.9% |
| 1986 | 23.4% | -30.0% |
| 1987 | 21.0% | -10.2% |
| 1988 | 23.0% | +9.7% |
| 1989 | 16.8% | -27.2% |
| 1990 | 15.7% | -6.2% |
| 1991 | 15.7% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 16.3% | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 15.3% | -6.0% |
| 1995 | 16.2% | +5.9% |
| 1996 | 16.0% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 16.5% | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 15.5% | -5.9% |
| 1999 | 15.6% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 15.5% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 15.0% | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 14.2% | -5.3% |
| 2003 | 11.7% | -17.3% |
| 2004 | 11.4% | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 11.3% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 10.3% | -8.3% |
| 2007 | 9.7% | -5.6% |
| 2008 | 6.7% | -31.6% |
| 2009 | 7.3% | +9.7% |
| 2010 | 7.6% | +4.3% |
| 2011 | 8.0% | +5.3% |
| 2012 | 8.7% | +8.2% |
| 2013 | 9.7% | +11.5% |
| 2014 | 9.0% | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 8.6% | -4.6% |
| 2017 | 7.4% | -14.3% |
| 2018 | 5.5% | -26.1% |
| 2019 | 5.0% | -8.8% |
| 2020 | 6.5% | +30.4% |
| 2021 | 5.2% | -20.2% |
| 2022 | 4.1% | -21.3% |
| 2023 | 3.0% | -26.0% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 3.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 52% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 3.0% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.3%, 48% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 17.6% | 17.6% | 17.6% | 1 |
| 1970s | 22.8% | 19.7% | 27.6% | 8 |
| 1980s | 25.7% | 16.8% | 35.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.9% | 15.3% | 16.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.3% | 6.7% | 15.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.7% | 5.0% | 9.7% | 9 |
| 2020s | 4.7% | 3.0% | 6.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More reference data data for Jamaica
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.045 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1808 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0003 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.2582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1508 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0583 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.8486 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0015 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Jamaica?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Jamaica was 3.0% in 2023, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 35.5% in 1980.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 2023.
- How does Jamaica rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- Jamaica ranks 146th out of 185 countries with data for 2023.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 68.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.