(Jamaica Observer) It may take another 40 years before Jamaica’s productivity increases to the level of its Caribbean neighbours.

This grim reality was outlined by Joseph A Matalon at the Jamaica Productivity Centre’s (JPC) launch of their first Productivity Summary Report (1972-2007) on Thursday.

Matalon, who is the chairman of the JPC, said that “Jamaica has recorded a progressive decline in labour productivity. In fact, amongst our regional trading partners we have the lowest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, way below Trinidad, Barbados and St Lucia. And they all have shown growth while Jamaica continues to show decline.”

“At our current rate of growth at less than two per cent per annum, it will take Jamaica 40 years to reach Barbados’ current level of per capita GDP,” Matalon said.

Over the 35-year period of the report, the labour productivity of the Jamaican worker has declined at a rate of 1.3 per cent each year. The decline in recent years has doubled to 3.4 percent per annum.

The reality in the rest of the Caribbean is vastly different. Dr Peter-John Gordon, reseach fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, and board member of the JPC, outlined in his findings that unlike Jamaica, countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and St Lucia have experienced a 1.5 per cent increase in productivity each year since 1972 and over 2 per cent over the last ten years.