Cabinet approves unemployment insurance benefit
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Cabinet has approved the introduction of the Unemployment Insurance Benefit, which will be added to the suite of benefits provided by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).
Labour and Social Security Minister, Pearnel Charles Jr, provided the update on Tuesday during his contribution to the 2025/26 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.
“This new benefit will serve as a guaranteed safety net for all employees who are contributors to the NIS, with the exception of the self-employed,” said Charles Jr.
He added that “work is underway to establish the legal and institutional frameworks needed to implement this important national support system”.
Charles Jr said one of the key lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic was the “urgent need for a system that supports workers who lose their jobs, helping them to remain financially stable while seeking reemployment”.
He said that it was with this in mind that the Government moved to establish an unemployment insurance benefit.
