Saturday, October 31, 2026
On paper, Jamaica has never had more people at work: unemployment was 3.3 per cent in 2025, the lowest since STATIN began counting, and 3.7 per cent in April 2026. Pay tells a different story. The minimum wage rose to J$17,000 for a 40-hour week in July, roughly J$74,000 a month, while realtors estimate that a tenant taking a J$150,000-a-month apartment may need up to J$500,000 upfront, and that renting at J$120,000 to J$180,000 a month calls for an income of about J$360,000 to J$600,000.
The milestones are being pushed back. Health Minister Christopher Tufton has said births at Percy Junor Hospital fell from 201 in 2024 to 71 in 2025, the fertility rate is estimated at about 1.3 per woman against a replacement level of 2.1, and in a 2025 UNICEF U-Report poll 71 per cent of young respondents said they would migrate if they could. A National Fertility and Family Support Strategy is under review, but none of its options has been costed or legislated. When the wage drops one coin at a time, how long must a young couple wait for a home, let alone a crib?
In pen and ink, a big-headed official on a Kingston veranda shakes a nearly empty piggy bank marked “J$17,000 A WEEK”, and a single coin tumbles towards a young working couple below. They hold up a sheet reading “RENT J$150,000”, while the empty crib beside them carries a tag that says “NOT YET”.
Read more: Can’t Afford a Home. Can’t Afford a Baby. Can’t Afford Life.
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