THOUGH MALES constitute the larger percentage of the labour force, more women have been affected by job loss and unemployment between 1998 and 1999.Figures provided by the Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica (ESSJ), published by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) showed that as of October 1999 that "the labour force fell by 9,500 persons to 1,119,075 between 1998 and 1999...with the female labour force being reduced by 6,800 compared with 2,600 for males."
The survey also revealed that "unemployed women accounted for nearly twice the number of unemployed men, totaling 113,800 compared with 61,400 men."
The ESSJ identifies several categories where women have been most affected as the plant and machine operators and assemblers where there were 2,800 job losses, craft and related trades category where there were 1,900 losses and skilled agricultural and fishery workers which registered 2,000 job losses.
The labour force, comprising 616,700 men and 498,900 women stood at 1,156,000 in October 1999.
The survey identifies this disparity in the labour force as the norm as there is a "traditional lower representation of women in the labour force compared with men".
The labour force is defined by the PIOJ as those persons "employed in any form of economic activity, have jobs, are actively looking for work or who may not be looking for work but is in a position to accept work if offered."
Minister of Labour, Donald Buchanan, commented that the Government is "fully conscious that employment is an area where much needs to be done," but he explained that the Government's attempt to rectify this is to make training and education more accessible to women.
"There's a historical prejudice in terms of employment of women going back to colonialism," he said. "We started in the '70s to begin to rectify social imbalance in favor of women by making training and education accessible to them."
He pointed to the Government's Lift up Jamaica programme and the promise of job opportunities in information technology and tourism as solutions to the joblessness among women.
"Public works programme being undertaken by the Government to provide relief employment especially to women...In my constituency (St. Elizabeth South Western) the programme employs 60 per cent of women."
Other chances
However, according to Elaine Stevenson, "The Lift Up Jamaica programme is not for every woman, they need to implement something that can provide real employment suitable to our level of training and experience, something that I can take home a meaningful salary."
Mrs. Stevenson has been at home for almost two years, having lost her job in the banking sector.
But the Minister insists that there will be opportunities in other areas.
"Jobs are coming...look at what is happening in IT (information technology), 10,000 jobs in the next few months 40,000 in the next three years in IT and tourism."
He advised women to take advantage of training opportunities provided by HEART and other skill centres as a means of preparation for future opportunities.
"Unemployed women should get into get into educational and training programmes, get a skill so that you can be a part of what will be happening," the Minister said.
In reviewing the status of women, Bureau of Women's Affairs Director, Dr. Glenda Simms, sees the situation as particularly threatening to poor women and children who, due to lack of education, may not be able to access skills training programmes.
"Most of the women are the working poor, that is, those who work in factories, so the closing of these factories makes them and their families poorer," she said, adding that "those who can access training should take the training but there are lots of them who do not have the level of education to access the training."
She also said that the Lift Up Jamaica programmes and other short-term employment "does not translate into good jobs for women, but women who are the ones faced with the responsibility of children are quicker to respond to these types of employment than men."
Her final assessment is that there need to be "retraining, more and better jobs for women."
