The overall unemployment rate in T&T reportedly decreased from 4 per cent in the third quarter of 2016, to 3.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2016 according to the latest Central Stastical Office Labour Force Bulletin.
The bulletin noted that, "This decrease is not uncommon for this period and it is mainly due to seasonality changes."
The information contained in the bulletin was based on data collected via the population survey conducted during the period September to December 2016.
From a gender perspective, the unemployment rate among males decreased from 4 per cent to to 3.8 per cent for the period.
Additionally, female unemployment decreased from 4 per cent to 3.3 per cent during the same period.
When compared to the similar quarter a year earlier, the data showed the overall unemployment rate had increased from 3.5 per cent to 3.6 per cent.
During the period under review, the CSO described the country's labour force as being "dynamic," given that there were significant changes to the characteristics of the labour market.
Analysis of the fourth quarter 2016 data in terms of industries revealed there were major decreases in jobs identified in transport, storage and communication which stood at 7,200 or 15 per cent.
In the area of other manufacturing which excluded sugar and oil, the number stood at 6,400 or 12 percent; with wholesale and retail trade, restaurants and hotels accounting for 5,400 or 4.6 per cent and construction at 4,700 or 4.8 per cent.
The CSO said notwithstanding these decreases in employment, a number of other industries registered increases in the number of persons employed.
These industries included community, social and personal services at 11,000 or 5.5 per cent; petroleum and gas including production, refining and service contractors at 4,800 or 31.6 per cent; with financing, insurance, real estate and business services at 2,200 or 3.9 per cent in comparison with the previous quarter.
The data confirmed while there were many job losses in various areas during the fourth quarter of 2016, the economy showed some measure of resilience since these were offset by increases in employment in other sectors.
However, the bulletin pointed out, "It must be noted the Central Statistical Office does not measure underemployment at this time."
Regarding a decline in T&T's labour force, which registered 631,300 persons at the end of the fourth quarter of 2016, the CSO said, "This represented a decrease of 7,900 or 1.2 per cent when compared to the third quarter of 2016."
