Caymanian unemployment on the rise

Caymanian unemployment is on the rise.

The unemployment rate for Caymanians rose to 7.1% in October 2016, up from 6.2% in October 2015, according to the Economics and Statistics Office.

The ESO says the total employment of Caymanians grew by .9% in that year span. The overall number of Caymanians seeking employment also grew, however, leading to the rise in the unemployment rate.

Looking at the total labour force — which takes non-Caymanians into consideration — unemployment stayed steady at right around 4.2%.

Cayman still boasts the lowest unemployment rate statistics among Caribbean countries that publish such numbers. The Bahamas and Jamaica both had unemployment rates over 12 percent last year. Bermuda stood at seven percent in 2015.