Don Anderson - file photo
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Pollster Don Anderson
While many Jamaicans feel the economy has improved over the last three years, most say they are not experiencing an improvement in their pocket, according to the findings of the latest RJRGLEANER/Don Anderson poll, conducted from February 15 to March 3.
One thousand people were interviewed.
Pollster Don Anderson explained that 46 per cent of respondents said there has been an improvement in the economy while 38 per cent said there has not been and 16 per cent were not sure.
"This is consistent with how the (business and consumer) confidence surveys that we do have panned out over the last year (where) more persons are confident or feel that the economy has improved, vis-à-vis those who don't think so," Mr. Anderson outlined.
However, he said it was a different story when people were asked whether they felt their personal financial situation had improved over the last three years.
"Forty per cent of the persons that we interviewed on this partcular issue said, yeah, my personal financial situation has improved, but against that, the majority, which was 53 per cent said no, my financial situation has not improved," he revealed.
In the meantime, Mr. Anderson said most Jamaicans, or 55 per cent, believe jobs are being created while 35 per cent do not. However, he pointed out that a significant number of those who said jobs are being created also said they are not benefiting from these jobs.
In January, the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) reported that Jamaica's unemployment rate stood at 8.7 per cent as at October 31, 2018.
That was a reduction of 1.8 percentage points relative to October 2017.
BOJ
The RJRGLEANER Group poll has also revealed that more than 40 per cent of Jamaicans have no confidence in the Bank of Jamaica's management of the foreign exchange rate.
According to Mr. Anderson, 41 per cent said they do not have sufficient confidence in BOJ's management of the foreign exchange rate, while 33 per cent did. Another 26 per cent of people were not sure.
There has been concern regarding the movement of the Jamaican dollar in recent months.
The Jamaican dollar went up to $137 to one US dollars last year August before revaluing, only to hit that mark again in February.
However, it has since settled, closing at $124.79 cents to one US dollar on Monday.
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