Jamaica’s BPO sector must shift to higher-value work, minister says
- Jamaica’s minister urged the BPO sector to move into higher-value knowledge services.
- Sector earnings fell from about $1 billion to $750 million last year.
- Aubyn Hill named cybersecurity, data analytics and AI-enabled services as opportunities.
- Hill said Jamaica competes with India and the Philippines on lower wages.
KINGSTON, JAMAICA — Jamaica’s business process outsourcing (BPO) sector must shift to higher-value knowledge services to stay competitive, after its earnings fell from about $1 billion to $750 million last year, the country’s industry minister said.
Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Aubyn Hill made the call at the Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ) Outsource2Jamaica Glance event in New Kingston on Sept. 30.
A signal, not a decline
“Some people see these numbers and conclude that the best days of the industry are behind us. I do not; I see a signal,” Hill said, according to the Jamaica Information Service.
He said the sector should not refill lost work with the same business model it used 10 years ago, but ask what higher-value activities will occupy that space over the next 10 to 15 years.
Hill named software development, cybersecurity, data analytics, data centers, high-paying financial services, compliance operations, trust administration, supply chain management and AI-enabled business services as opportunities.
He said the BPO sector, which employs thousands of people, has the potential to grow further.
Competing with India and the Philippines
“BPO helped Jamaica prove that Jamaican talent can successfully serve global clients from Jamaica. The next step is increasing the value of the services we provide,” Hill said.
He said that means expanding into higher-value knowledge process outsourcing (KPO), back-office cybersecurity services, higher-level fintech, accounting, compliance, trust administration and advanced logistics services.
Hill noted that Jamaica competes for BPO jobs with countries such as India and the Philippines, which have lower wage rates.
“What we did 10 years ago can’t work now, and the Philippines aren’t going away, India is not going to go away and we aren’t going anywhere either,” he said.
Hill said Jamaica will change, get better and look at new markets, which he said means higher-paying jobs, exports, earnings and growth.
The minister’s push follows recent job losses across Jamaica’s outsourcing industry.
For buyers of nearshore services, a shift toward knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) would widen what Jamaican providers can take on beyond voice-based business process outsourcing (BPO) work.
Firms comparing nearshore and offshore locations can weigh Jamaica against providers on the top BPO companies worldwide list, asking how each is moving into analytics, compliance and cybersecurity roles.
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Disclosure: Outsource Accelerator uses AI tools in the backend of its editorial workflow. Every article is reviewed and verified by a human editor before publication.
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