Jobs Poverty in the Caribbean: Youth Perspective

Poverty, unemployment and underemployment are pressing challenges in the Caribbean, affecting economic mobility, stability, and opportunities for young people. Although the region has made strides over the years, fragile economic growth and low-quality jobs are holding millions back. In 2023, despite decades of progress, 1 in 4 people still lived below the poverty line in the LAC region. Also prevalent is a high youth unemployment rate - in 2023, the youth unemployment rate in the Caribbean was at 24%.

Labor market inclusion of women remains a consistent problem across the Caribbean with a 29% youth female unemployment rate in 2023. This has far-reaching implications, including barriers of entry in high-yield and productivity sectors, ultimately resulting in women having higher poverty and poorer human development index indicators.

Addressing youth unemployment and poverty in the Caribbean requires a multi-faceted approach that includes investing in education and training, promoting economic diversification, supporting entrepreneurship, and implementing inclusive policies. This requires strong participation from youth, who are the strongest drivers of economic prosperity in the region.

Keeping this in view, the World Bank invited Caribbean youth to participate in an essay competition on the topic of jobs and poverty, asking them to share their views, aspirations, and solutions.

This event will bring together the top three winners, World Bank experts and the private sector to discuss these issues, providing a platform for youth perspectives to be heard, and discuss solutions.

• Abigayle Morgan

  1st Place Winner

  Abigayle is a driven second-year student at the University of the West Indies, specializing in Integrated Marketing Communication. A passionate scholar with a keen interest in media and culture, Abigayle strives to use media as a catalyst for social change leveraging its power to cross barriers and borders. Beyond academics, she actively contributes to the social dialogue through Talktruth, her blog focused on sparking discussions among youth on topics including mental health, technological lag and other pressing issues affecting Caribbean societies.

• Rol-J Williams

  2nd Place Winner

  Rol-J Williams is a medical student at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. He holds a Master in Biochemistry degree from the University of St Andrews, and while his academic background is in science, he is an avid debater, poet, student of politics. His poetry and literary reviews have been published by several magazines. Recently, his activism and advocacy efforts included climate justice and sustainability, particularly in his role as President of UWI Students Today Alumni Tomorrow where he is collaborating on an initiative to integrate sustainability into teaching at the university.

• David R. Salmon

  3rd Place Winner

  David R. Salmon is an award-winning journalist and academic from Jamaica. He began his career as a columnist for The Gleaner where he received an award for Opinion Journalist at 19, making him the youngest recepient of such award in the history of the organization. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy and Management from the University of the West Indies. He also holds a Master of Philosophy in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge. He is currently studying international development at the University of Oxford after receiving the Rhodes Scholarship. His research focuses on the industrial development of emerging economies.