Holness says Jamaica must compete globally to attract and retain skilled workers

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said Jamaica must become a country that attracts and keeps skilled workers, not one that sends talent abroad without building strength at home, as nations worldwide compete for human capital.

Addressing the 25th anniversary gala of Riu Hotels and Resorts in Montego Bay, Holness tied the issue to economic development and sustained growth. He said countries may compete for investment and business, but the deepest contest is for talent, because no investment, capital, or industry can succeed without it.

He framed the challenge as balancing the retention of Jamaican expertise with openness to bringing in skilled people from elsewhere.

The remarks come amid sobering migration data. The 2026 Development and Democracy Report for Latin America and the Caribbean found that more than half of Jamaicans plan to migrate within the next three years to work or live abroad, with economic concerns cited as the main driver. Jamaica ranks second in the Caribbean on that measure, behind Haiti.

Holness noted Jamaica's long history of supplying skilled workers to overseas markets but said the country now has a different aim. "Forgive me for using the World Cup analogy. Too often we see ourselves as spectators cheering on other teams, not understanding that we are on the field as well," he said. "Increasingly, therefore, countries are competing for people. I want that point to seep in, not just to the audience in front of me, but to the wider Jamaica, where another conversation is taking place."

He said migration, tourism, and foreign direct investment are all shaped by the same factors that influence where people choose to live and work.

"Countries are competing for investments. They are competing for businesses. But what else are they competing for? They're competing for talent. That in fact is the biggest competition. Because no matter what investment, capital, business, rare earth, lithium, you need talent," Holness said.

He linked government work on infrastructure, public safety, housing, public services, resilience, and human capital to a single goal. "This is why we are investing in infrastructure, why we are improving public safety, why we are expanding housing, why we are modernizing public services, why we are building resilience, why we are strengthening human capital. These are not separate initiatives. They are all part of a single national mission to make Jamaica a place of choice," he said.