Jamaica BPO jobs fall to 40,000 as industry eyes $1Bn goal
- Jamaica’s BPO jobs fell from a 60,000 peak to about 40,000, per the GSAJ.
- The Jamaican government counts about 50,000 jobs in the sector.
- The GSAJ says the industry earned $780 million last year.
- Yoni Epstein targets $1 billion in annual earnings with 50,000 workers.
MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA — Employment in Jamaica’s global services sector has fallen from a peak of 60,000 jobs to between 40,000 and 50,000, yet industry leaders say it can return to $1 billion in annual earnings. Their plan relies on artificial intelligence (AI) and higher-value work rather than rebuilding headcount.
Momentum, not capability
Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ) president Yoni Epstein put the association’s count at about 40,000 jobs and the government’s at 50,000, speaking at the group’s quarterly members’ meeting at Pier One in Montego Bay, according to the Jamaica Observer. He rejected the claim that AI was mainly to blame, pointing instead to operational inefficiencies, high electricity costs and weak international promotion.
“I did not come back to this presidency to manage a decline. What we lost was momentum, not capability,” said Epstein, who recently returned to lead the association.
Earnings over headcount
Epstein said the industry earned $780 million last year, more than the $612 million from bauxite and alumina exports, and called global services Jamaica’s second-largest industry and third-largest foreign exchange earner. He wants the sector to measure success by the value each worker generates rather than by the number of employees.
“I am not chasing 60,000 heads again. I am chasing a billion US dollars in annual foreign exchange, and I will take that at 50,000 people doing better work,” he said.
He argued that properly deployed AI can improve scheduling, reduce attrition, strengthen quality assurance and free agents for more complex work. He also urged the government to strengthen international marketing, reduce energy costs and expand specialized training.
A ‘Triple A’ strategy
Gloria Henry, vice president of BPO and logistics at the Port Authority of Jamaica, acknowledged anxiety over potential job losses. She said long-term client contracts, specialized operations and established business relationships leave the industry better placed to withstand change than some earlier service-sector investments, and that locally owned companies account for about 20% of the business.
“Our strategy is to combine deep industry knowledge with AI to improve productivity, deliver greater value to customers, and help address persistent absenteeism and attrition,” Henry said.
For buyers of nearshore outsourcing, Jamaica’s pitch is shifting from scale to output per agent. Companies sourcing call center support there can ask providers how AI tools are cutting attrition and absenteeism, and compare them on the top BPO companies worldwide list.
Related news
- Jamaica eyes jail time for BPO staff who sell leads to scammers · 10 Oct
- Jamaica’s BPO sector must shift to higher-value work, minister says · 7 Oct
- Jamaica’s BPO sector sheds 12,000 jobs in two years: opinion · 8 Sep
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