Jamaica is a Caribbean island nation, neighbouring Cuba, Haiti, and the Cayman Islands. The island was first used for its lucrative plantations and later developed more profitable business in the tourism industry. Jamaica has a services economy with 67.9% of the country's employment in that sector. Jamaica is a net importer with a total import value of $5.151 billion USD (2017), nearly four times that of its export value. The country's primary industries include agriculture, mining, manufacturing, construction, financial and insurance services, tourism, and telecommunications. Jamaica is a developing country with a GDP per capita of $9,200 USD (2017), ranked number 143 in the world. It's unemployment rate is 12.2% as of 2017. This is considered a high unemployment rate when compared to the 4.4% held by the US, a far more developed country. High government spending and high regulations on business start ups hinder private investors, which stunts the nation's economic growth. The Jamaican economy is also vulnerable to changeable weather, as it determines the success in the country's agricultural industries. (CIA World Factbook)

the graph below shows limited growth of income per capita over the past decade, averaging at about 0.55% growth per year