December 2, 2022
Jamaica is leading the Caribbean when it comes to new jobs in the services sector, which is experiencing a boom in the nation as the lingering impact of COVID-19 pandemic slowly wears off. While many regional governing bodies spoke of economic diversification from tourism, the efforts of countries like Jamaica were most prominent and most effective.
Caribbean Employment Services Inc., a market-leading digital talent acquisition service and online jobs board dedicated exclusively to employment within the region, has likewise noticed an increase in services sector jobs. These include jobs like healthcare and hospitality management, which have both had significantly more job openings posted to the Caribbean Employment Services Inc. website.
This development is in line with projections from the organization’s CEO, Joseph Boll, who earlier this year commented on the potential of the services industry to create thousands of new jobs in the region. In fact, according to Jamaica’s HEART/NSTA Trust, the sector is “boasting a 270 percent increase in the number of jobs created over a five-year period” in that nation.
“Agriculture and tourism jobs will always have a place in Caribbean economies,” says Boll, “but the services industry spans dozens of careers and has phenomenal potential, especially after the pandemic.”
Boll notes that because many services jobs are formal, they are more resilient against external shocks like natural disasters. Additionally, he says, services jobs spillover into the digital market, which is untapped on a large scale in the Caribbean. Additionally, some regional economists believe that the digital services sector in particular holds the key to a more resilient, high-earning economy in small island developing states (SIDS). To this end, Belize recently secured an IBD loan to help with its development of a digital services industry.
The services industry and its expanding boom in the Caribbean could be even further helped along with digitalization, Boll adds. By using online talent acquisition services like Caribbean Employment Services Inc., businesses can get wider access to the best candidates for their positions, and jobseekers do not have to feel limited to the kinds of jobs they can find and apply/be hired for.
“Services and digitalization go hand-in-hand,” the CEO says, “and leveraging the online resources available can only help the boom to keep growing.”