JAMAICANS HAVE identified job creation as the No. 1 priority for whichever party forms the Government after the October 16 general election.

According to a Gleaner-commissioned poll carried out by Don Anderson and his team from Market Research Services Ltd., close to 48 per cent of persons who have made up their minds to vote, said the new Government should focus on creating more jobs.

The poll was conducted from September 23 to 27 and involved interviewing 2,232 persons islandwide. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.9 per cent.

"In all major polls over the last five years, crime and violence has been regarded as the No. 1 problem in the country, followed by unemployment. It is, therefore, quite revealing that the unemployment issue is seen as the No. 1 priority for the party that takes office after October 16," Mr. Anderson said in his analysis.

In the minds of those interviewed, there is a direct link between joblessness and the levels of crime, Mr. Anderson added. In fact, 30.7 per cent of those surveyed feel that crime and violence should be the No. 2 priority for the new Government.

"The data reinforce the conviction among the majority of Jamaicans that these two factors represent the major factors that should be immediately tackled to help restore public confidence and reduce levels of criminality," he said.

Just 11.2 per cent of those interviewed feel that free education should be the major focus of the new Government; 5.9 per cent are of the view that the priority should be on more housing; 4.4 per cent consider that it should be road repairs; 0.6 per cent of the interviewees had other or no responses.