Above: Dr Gladstone Hutchinson (JIS Photo)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The mining and quarrying sector led all sectors in the Jamaican economy in the third quarter, with an increase of 7.5 percent, according to the Planning Institute of Jamaica.
The Jamaican economy grew 0.5 percent for the quarter, with a projection of between 1 percent and 2 percent growth for the fourth quarter.
“Total bauxite production increased by nine percent during the review period, reflecting an increased alumina production of eight percent,” said Dr Gladstone Hutchinson, director-general of the PIOJ.
In addition, crude bauxite production increased by 10.4 percent, he said.
Mining and quarrying falls within the goods-producing sector, which grew overall by 1.8 percent for the period.