US crisis affects Jamaicans

Retired US Congresswoman Una Clark, said more Jamaicans living in the United States are being affected by the financial crisis now facing that country.



Yesterday, Audrey Wilson, a Jamaican mortgage broker in the US said remittance to her mother was being crippled because of the financial difficulties.



She also said many Jamaicans in the US are at risk of losing their homes because they cannot afford their mortgages.



Today, Mrs. Clark said many Jamaicans and other Caribbean nationals have lost their jobs, while some have been forced to accept less pay.



She said several landlords of commercial buildings have also increased their rent, as they are unable to pay for the building.



Mrs. Clark said the services and retail sectors have also been seriously affected.



She said a freeze has been placed on all employment in the municipal hospitals in Brooklyn, New York.



Mrs Clarke said as a result, nurses and other persons in the service industry are being forced to work longer hours.