Unemployment figures rise in Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidad & Tobago has recorded an increase in the number of people unemployed during the first three months of the year, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office.

It said that the total number of people unemployed during the first quarter of this year was 33,800, “a significant increase of 30.5 percent over the previous quarter when the total number of persons unemployed was 25,900”.

The Central Statistics Office revealed that even though the total labor force increased 0.3 percent over the period, the significant increase in the numbers unemployed resulted in an increase in the unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2012 of 5.4 percent.

“In comparison, the unemployment rate for the previous quarter was 4.2 percent,” it said, adding that an analysis of the labor force indicators by industry reveal that the total numbers unemployed in the construction industry increased from 8,200 for the fourth quarter, 2011 to 12,200 for the first quarter, 2012 with the associated unemployment rate increasing from eight to 11.8 per cent over this same period.

The Central Statistics Office said that another industrial group which incurred a significant increase in the total number of unemployed, was the Community, Social and Personal Services industry where the the figure rose from 6,700 to 9,400.

The Central Statistics Office said that the total labor force for the first quarter of this year stood at 623,500, as compared with 621,900 for the fourth quarter of 2011.

It said that the number of women employed during the period increased by 2.5 percent totaling 260, 900, while the number of males employed fell by 1.3 per cent to 362,600. – (CMC)