Reports

Globally, labour force participation rates have been declining, but Jamaica’s rates have been rising. However, 35% of the eligible working-age population remains outside the labour force.
The Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI), with funding from the HEART/ NSTA Trust, is launching its latest report titled “Outside In: Increasing Participation in the Labour Force.” 
The report…

 This report evaluates the strategic framework and operational design of Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs), a 2017 government initiative aimed at reducing Jamaica’s high rates of violent deaths. Utilizing a "clear, hold, and build" strategy from Counterinsurgency Theory, ZOSOs focus on displacing gangs, maintaining security, and fostering community development through social investments.
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The national budget comprises the government’s expenditure estimates and revenue estimates. The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service prepares the budget and ostensibly reflects the government’s development policies and priorities. CAPRI’s Budget Breakdown provides an informed analysis and perspective on the Jamaican government’s budget for the new fiscal year.

This study examines the blue economy activities in Jamaica, with a focus on artisanal fishers and sustainable fisheries, ecotourism, and blue finance. It explores the potential for economic diversification, and the equitable distribution of social and environmental benefits. The research analyses the opportunity for the development of Jamaica’s blue economy, with a view to addressing these issues,…

Jamaica, a traditional labour-exporting country, is currently experiencing record low unemployment of 4.5 percent and a worsening shortage of skills. This skills shortage acts as a constraint on economic growth and development. With funding from the European Union, CAPRI's latest study delves into the matter and propose recommendations based on the findings.

At the start of the new fiscal year, the Minister of Finance presented the Government’s expenditure and revenue estimates for parliamentary approval. Without the critical engagement of a well-informed public, the budget will not reflect the needs of the people who are obligated to fund it. This report breaks down the complexities of the budget and identified three noteworthy shifts. 

The rapid and significant fall in the unemployment rate over the last ten years, to historic lows, without corresponding economic growth, has spurred questions about whether the newly created jobs are good quality jobs which can contribute meaningfully to the economy. There is a need to better understand this phenomenon of “growthless jobs” to inform any effort to rectify this concerning divergence…

Women are still generally poorer than men in Jamaica. Among the several reasons put forth for women’s continued inequality to men in Jamaica, one that continues to keep women from advancing to the level of their male counterparts is the gender wage gap. Women are more likely to be in vulnerable forms of employment, and less likely to be in leadership positions, both of which can contribute to women…

Employer-provided care support for workers with care obligations could be one solution to Jamaica’s productivity and labour market challenges. In Jamaica, however, there is no provision of public services or infrastructure to support unpaid care and domestic work obligations. Internationally, the data supports the proposition that both employees and employers’ benefit when employers provide support…

The Open Budget Survey (OBS) is the world’s only independent, comparative, and objective research instrument for this purpose; this instrument was used for this assessment. Of the 120 countries assessed by the OBS in 2021, the vast majority (94), Jamaica included, failed to reach the minimum threshold for adequate budget transparency, public participation, and oversight. This report assesses how…

Unpaid care and domestic work is an important aspect of economic activity and the well-being of individuals. There are negative implications of unpaid care and domestic work for well-being, labour force participation rates, labour exclusion, gender equality, and women’s empowerment. However, the economic scope - its monetary value, and how it intersects with other economic activity - of unpaid care…

Jamaica has the second-highest rate of femicide (intentional homicide of females) and one of the world's highest rates of intimate partner violence. While the causes of GBV are complex, cultural attitudes have been found to contribute significantly to the scale and nature of violence against women and girls, and the reactions and responses to it. There is a proven link between media consumption and…