AMIDST good news from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (Statin) that the island achieved a record low 3.5 per cent unemployment rate in October 2024, there was the worrying revelation that more than 22 per cent of Jamaica’s youth — between the ages of 15 and 24 — were not employed, enrolled in educational activities, or participating in any form of training.

The unemployment rate in October 2024 beat Jamaica’s best performance of 3.6 per cent in July of the same year.

In October the female unemployment rate was at 4.5 per cent, while the unemployment rate for males was 2.6 per cent. The youth unemployment rate was 11.0 per cent, with an unemployment rate for young adult females at 13.7 per cent, and 8.9 per cent for young adult males.

But it is the number of unattached youth that has sparked concern.

Statin’s October 2024 Labour Force Survey revealed that, of the 687,500 individuals outside the labour force, young people aged 15 to 24 accounted for 294,300 (42.8 per cent). It also stated that one in five of this group of young people (108,900 or 22.2 per cent) are not attached to any training, education or employment programmes.

Reacting to the numbers Opposition spokesman on national security Peter Bunting and criminologist Dr Jason McKay on Thursday agreed that Jamaican youth in this group are fodder for the criminal underworld.

Bunting told the Jamaica Observer that the numbers point to several underlying issues.

He argued that the findings highlight “the structural and systemic barriers to opportunities, including limited access to quality education and vocational training, as well as a mismatch between the skills young people have and the demands of the labour market”.

According to Bunting, the findings also suggest that economic hardship and social disconnection may be driving many youth away from formal systems of engagement.

“When young people are excluded from these avenues, their time is often spent in informal or precarious activities — some may take on irregular work, while others may retreat into idleness, which can lead to feelings of hopelessness. Unfortunately, this disconnection can make them more vulnerable to negative influences, including criminal activities, such as gang involvement,” said Bunting, a former minister of national security.

He pointed out that research has shown that lack of opportunity and social mobility often drive disenfranchised youth into criminal pathways, as they seek a sense of belonging and purpose.

McKay, however, disagreed that youth detachment is due to lack of opportunities.

He argued that the findings are symbolic of a problematic statistic of people involved in informal employment and crime ranging from scamming to common thievery, extortion, and so on.

“It comes across as them not being engaged in any activity at all, [but] they are engaged in underground activity or they are getting money from abroad and they don’t have to do anything, or they are just not willing to participate, but it’s not because of a lack of opportunity,” argued McKay.

He underscored that this is the first time since World War II that Jamaica’s unemployment rate has been this low, and charged that if youth are idle, it is because they want to be idle, because there are more jobs available.

McKay further noted that the HEART/NSTA Trust trains young people up to level four certification free of cost, “So, if you’re not doing some training or something, it’s because you don’t want to; they will take you even if you cannot read or write and teach you a skill.

“So, if the statistic is correct, then it speaks to a lot of persons who just don’t want to work, or perhaps are in the situation where they don’t have to work because of the [remittance] welfare system whereby people are sending down money for you. But there is no excuse for you not to be employed, or not to be training for a job, because the jobs are out there. And if you’re really that bad that you cannot get any of the jobs, then HEART is there to train you,” declared McKay.