Panama: help wanted

The chances of getting a job for the last three months of this year are higher in Panama than in any other Latin American country, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey (in Spanish), published this month.

Of a total of 626 Panamanian employers, 25% expect to add jobs, while only 4% would lay off staff.

The remaining 71% expect no change.

The result is that Panama for the next quarter has a 21% positive Net Employment Outlook, taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in employment and subtracting the percentage which expects cuts.

In Guatemala and Costa Rica, the other two Central American countries that were part of the survey, the trend is 13% and 5% respectively.

Of a total of eight Latin American countries surveyed, Argentina came with an outlook of 3% (figures in brackets indicate the position at the Latin American level of regional countries, along with Mexico and Colombia).

1. Panama (1)
2. Colombia (2)
3. Mexico (3)
4. Guatemala (4)
5. Costa Rica (7)