By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE country’s unemployment rate now stands at 10.1 per cent, Department of Statistics Labour Force Survey officials announced Friday.

While there was an increase in the number of employed persons by 3,575, this growth in the employment number was not enough to cover the net increase in available labour with new graduates entering the work force, according to Senior Statistician Cypreanna Winters.

She said this led to a marginal growth in the unemployment rate from 9.9 per cent to 10.1 per cent.

The survey captured the status of jobs for the period October 30, 2017 to November 6, 2017, canvassing 3,500 people, Ms Winters said during a press conference at the Department of Statistic on Madeira Street.

The total number of workers in the labour force is now 203,730. The number also accounts for a small reduction to the number of workers now in the government sector.

Ahead of the last labour force survey there were 40,990 government workers. However this new data says the number has been reduced by 6.3 per cent taking the public sector number to 38,435.

Ms Winters said: “The private sector absorbed most of the new jobs since May 2017. However, when examined by the industry, the transport, storage and retail industry posted an 18 per cent increase in employment, while the wholesale and retail industry posted a nine per cent increase in employment.

“Unemployment among youth aged 15 to 24 continued to be considerably higher than any other age group, which is common in most countries. However their rates increased from 20.1 per cent in May 2017 to 22 per cent in November.

“Discouraged workers in the country increased by 5.7 per cent over the six-month period. New Providence and Grand Bahama experienced increases in the number of discouraged workers, 2.9 per cent and 8.1 per cent respectively. However discouraged workers in Abaco declined by 9.7 per cent. These persons, according to the standard definition of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) did not look for work because they believed no jobs were available,” Ms Winters said.

The next labour force survey will be released in May.