GUATEMALA
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today, reveals a favorable hiring environment for the second quarter of 2010, with employers anticipating opportunities for Guatemalan jobseekers to remain similar to those reported in the first quarter of the year.
Guatemalan employers forecast a respectable level of headcount growth during Quarter 2 2010. With 20 percent of employers expecting headcount to increase, 9 percent anticipating a decrease, 70 percent predicting no change, and 1 percent unsure of which movements they will make, the Net Employment Outlook stands at +11%.
“Employers in Guatemala anticipate steady - hiring activity for the quarter ahead,” said Juan Carlos Quan, Country Manager of Manpower Guatemala. “Employers report almost the same hiring pace as last quarter, which would indicate that employers are still being conservative about adding to their workforces. However, we should note that employers are forecasting a considerably stronger hiring environment than they did last year at this time and that’s good news for job seekers.,” continued Quan.
View the report by Manpower here (in Spanish)

PANAMA
For the first time in Panama, the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today reveals an optimistic hiring environment for Q2 2010.
Panama’s employers forecast steady hiring activity during Quarter 2 2010. With 23 percent anticipating an increase in payrolls, 8 percent expecting a decrease, 66 percent predicting no change to their workforces and 3 percent who are uncertain, the resulting Net Employment Outlook is +15%.
“This is the first time employers in Panama have been surveyed, and they report a very optimistic Outlook showing they are confident in the Panamanian labor market,” said Jonas Prising, President od the Americas of Manpower Inc. “The Construction and the Transports & Communications industry sectors are those where employers show more optimism, and where jobseekers are likely to find more employment opportunities in the weeks ahead. It is worth mentioning that 23 percent of the surveyed employers across the country expect to add employees,” continued Prising.
View the report by Manpower here (in Spanish)

COSTA RICA
According to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today, Costa Rican employers anticipate solid payroll growth during Quarter 2 2010. With 28 percent of employers forecasting an increase in employees, 5 percent expecting a decrease, 66 percent predicting no change and 1 percent remaining uncertain about their staffing plans, the resulting Net Employment Outlook stands at a healthy +23%. When compared to Quarter 1 2010, the Outlook improves by 3 percentage points, whereas year-over-year comparison shows a very considerable 20 percentage points increase.
“Costa Rican employers are starting to recover the staffing levels they reported previous to the financial crisis, with nearly three out of 10 of them anticipating they’ll make increases to their workforces,” said Alicia del Río, Country Manager of Manpower Costa Rica.
“The year-over-year improvements reported in the forthcoming quarter’s Outlook indicates jobseekers are more likely to have employment opportunities across all regions and in all but one industry sector surveyed in Costa Rica. Employers in the Manufacturing sector are particularly optimistic about adding employees. We hope this trend continues, and that employer confidence returns to the levels reported previous to the downturn,” added Del Río.
View the report by Manpower here (in Spanish)

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