ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researcher wishes to thank her guardians for providing her with the necessary resources to

do this research, thanks to Mr. Darren Rhodes, the researcher’s Social Studies teacher for

assisting and guiding her along the way of getting this School-Based Assessment complete.

Thanks to her friends for helping her to gather information to put in this project. The researcher

would also like to extend her gratitude to all the persons who participated in the questionnaire

part of this research. Last, but by no means least, the researcher would like to thank the Almighty

God for giving her the health, strength and knowledge to do this research. The successful

completion of this research would not have been possible without the assistance of all these

individuals.

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INTRODUCTIONThis School Based Assessment is a research carried out in the community of Petersville,

Westmoreland Jamaica. It was done on the topic of Unemployment. It entails the factors causes

and contributes to unemployment along with the consequences that are associated with

unemployment in the chosen community of Petersville. It also contains information on how

unemployed persons living in Petersville survive in an economy that is collapsing. It also

contains ways and means that respondents believe that the government can use to reduce the

problem of unemployment in their community.

An article in the Gleaner dated Wednesday August 14, 2013 entitled Jamaica Needs to fix its

Unemployment Problem states that unemployment refers to a situation where individuals who

are willing and able, are3 actively seeking work and cannot find any.

Ugochukwu Durueke wrote “unemployment is caused by a lack of skills, capital, unemployment

opportunities and qualification. Unemployment also stems from loss of jobs to machine

technology, peoples unwillingness to work and economic count down,’ stated in the Observer on

Wednesday, April 25, 2012 entitled Reducing Unemployment.

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Statement of problem

What are the causes and consequences of unemployment in the community of Petersville?

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Reason for selecting area of research

Unemployment has always been a major problem in Jamaica and the Caribbean at large.

Unemployment has been an issue in the community of Petersville in which the researcher

resides. The researcher chose this particular community because there are a large number of

unemployed persons of all age and gender living in that community who are willing to

participate in a questionnaire research. The individuals living in that community are poverty

stricken and are unable to provide for their families due to unemployment. Furthermore, the

researcher also observes that the children of unemployed families are often the ones engaged in

illegal activities.

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M ethod of InvestigationThe methods of investigation used to collect data were the questionnaire. The questionnaires were used

because it allowed the respondents adequate time to think carefully about their answer before responding.

It is less time-consuming to hand out questionnaires them rather than to interview ten to fifteen persons to

get the same data required. In addition, many people do not like to sit down and talk about their business

with a teenager because it makes them quite uncomfortable hence, the questionnaire give respondents a

sense of privacy which was hoped would encourage them to give their honest response.

The limitations of the questionnaire method

During the process of gathering data, a number of individuals that the researcher handed out the

questionnaires to are illiterate so they were unable to analyze and answer the questions and answer them

properly so the researcher had to take back the questionnaire and give them to people who are able to

interpret and answer the questions correctly.

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Instrument used to collect data

Questionnaire

Please tick (√) the correct box

1. Age: □ 16-20 yrs. □ 21-30 yrs. □ 30 yrs. and over

2. Ethnicity

□ African □ European □ Indian □Asian □ Chinese

3. How long have you been unemployed?

□ 2-6 weeks □4-12 months □ 2 years and over

4. How does unemployment affect your life?

________________________________________________________________________

5. What are the factors that contributed to your unemployment?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

6. What are some of the major causes of unemployment in Petersville?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

7. How do you think people feel to be unemployed?

□ depressed □embarrass □angry □ashamed □ don’t care

Specify your feeling_______________________________________________________

8. How does unemployment affect your family?

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________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

9. When there are no available jobs what do you engage in to earn a living?

□ Fishing □ Planting Marijuana □ Farming □ Vending □ Stealing □ Scamming

Other___________________________________________________________________

10. Are you trained or educated in a particular area?

□ yes □ No, if yes please specify ____________________________________________

11. Do you think unemployment contribute to crime and violence in Petersville?

□ Yes □ No

Explain your answer

________________________________________________________________________

12. What do you think the government can do to reduce unemployment in your community?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

13. Does the community do anything to help unemployed individuals?

□ Yes □No

If yes, please state_________________________________________________________

14. What are the challenges you face as an unemployed person?

________________________________________________________________________

15. How do people treat you in your community treat you due to unemployment?

□ I was look down upon □ Supportive □ other (please specify) _____________________

14. Did the unemployment of your family affect your schooling?

□ Yes □ No

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Procedures used to collect data

The researcher drafted a minimum of fifteen questions that would be enough to gather all the

information needed for the research. The questionnaires were handed out to twenty individuals

who were either unemployed or a part of an unemployed family in that resides in Petersville. The

researcher chose to distribute questionnaires only in the community in which she selected to

carry out the investigation. The researcher decided to give participants a maximum of one week

to answer all questions and return the questionnaire. The researcher chose that time period

because she wanted the participants to have time to think about their answers carefully before

writing them down. The questionnaires were handed out on Monday October 14, 2013 and all

were returned to the researcher by Tuesday October 22, 2013.

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Presentation of data

Lack of job opportuni-ties

Not qualified Did not get a chance to finish school

Lack of infrastructure0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Histogram showing the major causes of unemployment in Petersville

Figure 1

Figure 1 is a histogram showing the major causes of unemployment in Petersville.

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10%

35%

25%

30%

Pie chart showing the major problems faced by unemployed persons in Petersville

HungerUnable to provide or obtain basic needsLack of financeUnble to complete eduction

Figure 2

Figure 2 is a pie chart showing the major problem faced by unemployed persons

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30%

40%

15%

5%10%

Doughnut displaying the activities that unemployed persons engage in to survive

Planting marijuana Scamming VendingStealing Begging

Figure 3

Figure 3 is a doughnut displaying the activities that unemployed persons engage in to survive.

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Depressed

Angry

Ashamed

Don’t care

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Bar graph showing the feelings of un-employed persons towards unemploy-

ment

Figure 4

Figure 4

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Analysis and interpretation of data

The data analyzed revealed multiple trends and interesting surprises.

In figure one the histogram shows that the major cause of unemployment in the area is caused by

the unavailability of jobs (fifty percent). Not qualified for a job is another cause (twenty five

percent), did not get a chance to finish school (fifteen percent)and lack of infrastructure

(ten percent).The data revealed that the community is not doing anything to help reduce

unemployment. It also revealed that many of the individuals living in Petersville that are of

working age are not qualified for job opportunities therefore they will not be able to take

advantage of employment opportunities as they come along. This is because there is a lack of

territory institutions and training centers in the community.

The pie chart in figure two displayed the major problems faced by unemployed persons in

Petersville. Unable to provide or obtain basic needs (thirty five percent), unable to complete

education (thirty percent), lack of finance (twenty five percent), and hunger (ten percent). The

data collected showed that the inability to provide basic needs is the major problem that is faced

by most unemployed persons living in Petersville. The data also revealed that that the

questionnaire participants’ second highest problem is the inability to complete their education.

This shows that these persons would want to finish school so that they could be able to obtain a

job in order to provide for their family. Lack finance and hunger are the least major problems

faced by unemployed persons.

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One major surprise was that unemployment affected individuals’ lives emotionally than

financially. This could mean that unemployment affect people’s self-esteem in society.

Another interesting finding was the fact that majority of the respondents did not care whether

they were employed or not. However quite a few of them were depressed due to the fact that they

were unemployed.

Another surprise that was observed is the fact that 75% of the respondents engage in illegal

activities for a living. While the other 25% engage in activities that are legal but are not a reliable

sources of living.

A rather interesting observation is the responses to the questions that asked whether or not the

community do anything to help unemployed individuals. All of the respondents stated that the

community does not do anything to help unemployed persons.

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Statement of findings

The researcher found out that the community is not doing anything to help unemployed persons.

The people living in the community are only complaining about the unemplu therefore the

community will continue to have problems concerning unemployment.

Unemployment contributes to the high level of crime and violence in the community of

Petersville.

50% of the correspondents are skilled persons within the community who cannot find a job

Unemployed persons living in Petersville mostly engage in illegal activities in order to survive

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Recommendation and implementation

strategy

The wealthy persons in the community could come together and for a welfare program

and donate items such as food and clothes to the unemployed persons living in the

community who are not able to provide these things for themselves

The community could engage in a farming system where they plant food around the back

of their houses and engage in a barter system where they exchange food with each other

so they do not have to spend a lot of money on obtaining food

Members of the community can start their own business to be employed. They could

engage in activities that are not illegal that they can earn a living from

The government could build up training facilities in the community where members can

go to in order to learn a skill so that they can find a suitable job

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Reference

1. Social Studies for CSEC examinations by: Ivan Waterman and Janey Fisher2. The modules

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