The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) is reporting that the Construction subsector grew by seven percent, and Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing by 2.5 percent during the July to September 2020 quarter, which contracted by 10.7 percent, relative to the corresponding period last year.

As originally posted in the Jamaica Information Service Website on January 2nd, 2021. Written by DOUGLAS MCINTOSH

The figures for Construction, and Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing are largely consistent with the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) estimate of five percent and two percent, respectively, for both subsectors.

According to data from STATIN, these were the only subsectors recording growth in the Goods Producing industry, which declined by 3.5 percent.

The other two subsectors – Mining and Quarrying, and Manufacturing – contracted by 20.7 and 10.9 percent, respectively.

In a release on Thursday (December 31), STATIN attributed the decline in Manufacturing to decreased output of 8.2 percent and 14.6 percent respectively, for the Food, Beverages and Tobacco, and Other Manufacturing sub-industries.

Additionally, the Institute said lower levels of Mining and Quarrying output were largely due to the continued impact of the suspension of production at the Jiuquan Iron and Steel Company (JISCO) Alpart refinery in St. Elizabeth, in September 2019.

STATIN also reported that all subsectors in the Services industry, except Producers of Government Services, declined.

Producers of Government Services grew by 0.1 percent, despite the Services industry contracting by 13.1 percent.
The out-turns saw Hotels and Restaurants falling by 65.2 percent; Transport, Storage and Communication, down 14 percent; Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repairs, Installation of Machinery and Equipment, down 8.1 percent; Electricity and Water Supply, down seven percent; Finance and Insurance Services, down 5.6 percent; and Real Estate, Renting and Business Activities, down 2.8 percent. The category –‘Other Services’ – contracted by 27 percent.

STATIN noted that the negative impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the measures implemented to limit its spread were felt more severely in the Hotels and Restaurant, Transport, Storage and Communication and Other Services industries.

The Institute noted that there was an 81.8 percent decline in stopover arrivals to Jamaica, while there were no cruise passenger arrivals for the period under review.

The 10.7 percent contraction in the September quarter was also attributed to the continued spread of COVID-19 and measures to limit its spread.

STATIN said despite the 10.7 percent third-quarter calendar contraction in growth, relative to 2019, the economy increased by 8.3 percent for the review period compared to the April to June quarter.
This, the Institute pointed out, resulted from increases in both the Services and Goods Producing industries of eight and nine percent respectively.

STATIN said this out-turn reflected the relaxation in some of the measures instituted in the second quarter of 2020 (April to June) to limit the spread of COVID-19.

STATIN’s figures on growth represent the official data on economic performance for the review period.