President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday that he plans to place tariffs of over 10 per cent on smaller countries, including nations in Africa and the Caribbean.
“We’ll probably set one tariff for all of them,” Trump said, adding that it could be “a little over 10 per cent tariff” on goods from at least 100 nations.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick interjected that the nations with goods being taxed at these rates would be in Africa and the Caribbean, places that generally do relatively modest levels of trade with the US and would be relatively insignificant for addressing Trump’s goals of reducing trade imbalances with the rest of the world.
The president had this month been posting letters to roughly two dozen countries and the European Union that simply levied a tariff rate to be charged starting August 1. Jamaica’s unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest point on record, reaching just 3.3 percent in April 2025, according to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN). The milestone was announced in STATIN’s latest Labour Force Survey released Tuesday.
The figure represents a significant improvement from 4.2 percent in April 2024, and reflects a steady trend of job growth and economic resilience. The report shows 24,200 more people were employed than a year ago, with the biggest gains seen in the services, sales, and public administration sectors.
Leading the employment boost were female workers, who accounted for the majority of new jobs added to the labour force. Employment among women rose by 16,800, compared to a 7,300 increase for men.
“The Services and Sales Worker” group added the most jobs—more than 21,000—making it the largest driver of growth across all occupations. Employment in Public Administration and Defence also saw strong gains, with over 8,000 new hires.
The country’s labour force now stands at 1.49 million, with roughly 1.44 million people employed. Of those, nearly 68 percent are in their prime working years, between ages 25 and 54.
The drop in unemployment was matched by a reduction in underemployment and fewer people choosing to stay outside the workforce. In total, 12,800 fewer people were unemployed, while 11,300 fewer individuals were classified as not participating in the labour force—many of them women.
Youth unemployment also saw a notable decline, with 9,800 fewer young people jobless compared to a year ago. The number of unemployed men and women across all age groups fell by more than 6,000 each.
STATIN’s findings are based on data collected during the second quarter of 2025, with reference to the week of April 6–12. Officials say the data points to strong economic momentum, particularly in female workforce participation and public sector hiring.