The informal sector in Kingston, Jamaica: A description of literacy, educational attainment, and occupational skills

The purpose of this study was to describe the degree of functional literacy, educational attainment levels, and the variety of occupational skills of a sample population working in the informal sector in Kingston, Jamaica. The study provided an educational/skills profile of the sample population and an examination of related policy issues. The methodology used was non-intrusive and designed specifically for persons engaged in informal sector economic activities. An interview guide, functional literacy tests, and observations of occupational skills were used to gather quantitative and qualitative information from two hundred participants in four informal sector activities: street foods, handicrafts, fruits and vegetables, and small-scale services. Twenty-five men and twenty-five women were interviewed in each of the four economic groups. The researcher contacted participants while they were working at their business sites. A survey instrument developed by the researcher was administered through personal interviews. To test functional literacy participants responded to information or questions written on a card about their particular economic activity. Each participant in the study was contacted a minimum of two times and a maximum of three times. The findings showed that ninety percent of those in the sample were functionally literate, and all but 35 had completed at least through the primary school level. The majority of those in the sample had three or more occupational skills. Forty-five percent of the sample kept written records or ledgers of business activities, and had formulated plans for expansion of their businesses. Data were also collected through ten interviews with government officicals, Agency for International Development staff, and voluntary organization staff, focusing on policies toward and attitudes about the informal sector population in Kingston. Results of the research suggest that those in the Kingston informal sector are not expecting to enter the formal economy, nor are they seeking additional training. The most often expressed need was for small-scale loans to expand stock and enlarge the businesses; none of those in the study was able to meet that need. New directions in government policies to promote the development of the informal sector have been suggested by the researcher.