5,275 jobs created through PSIP

In a statement, Robinson-Regis said the job creation report indicated that, as of June 30, the largest number of jobs was created in the Education, National Security and Energy Ministries, respectively.

The ministry said continuing work on ECCE, Primary and Secondary schools as well as the expansion of the School of Dentistry at the Eric Williams Medical Science Complex accounted for the increase at the Education Ministry.

Similarly, construction of video conferencing facilities for the prisons, establishment of Life Guard facilities at the nation’s beaches, construction of the Penal and Mayaro Fire Stations, along with various construction and refurbishment works for the TT Police Service accounted for the increase under the National Security Ministry.

Data provided by the ministry also showed that the restoration of Stollmeyer’s Castle, the Red House and President’s House saw the employment of 60, 82 and 30 people, respectively.

A total of 108 people were employed by the Works and Transport Ministry for road construction and rehabilitation.

The construction of the Mayaro Fire Station led to the employment of 140 people.

In a separate statement, the ministry said information from the latest Central Statistical Office (CSO) Labour Force Bulletin said more people in TT were self-employed.

Robinson-Regis said this was a very positive indicator for the economy, as more and more persons were beginning to embrace their entrepreneurial spirit and launch their own small and medium businesses.

The figures, released recently by the CSO, also point to a marginal decrease in the unemployment rate from 4.4 to four per cent for the period under review.

The data reflected a decrease of 3,000 or 10.5 per cent in the number of unemployed people in Trinidad and Tobago between second quarter and third quarter of 2016.

Unemployed males decreased by 600 or 3.9 per cent while unemployed females decreased by 2,400 or 18.3 per cent, during this period.