The labor market reports a structural change, as fewer and fewer people are being paid a fixed salary for their work, while at the same time the number of employees earning per project is increasing.
Although the trend has been reported globally for several years, the pandemic accelerated this process, as the economic crisis generated by the Covid-19 outbreak destroyed thousands of formal jobs.
In the current scenario of economic crisis, during the mobile quarter from August to October 2020 the unemployment rate at the national level was 21.9%, a proportion similar to the 22% reported from July to September.
The National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) reported that for the August, September and October 2020 moving quarter, the population of 15 years old and older with an incidence of labor due to the effect of Covid-19 was 1.13 million people (28.3%). The incidence of labor in the labor force was estimated at 981,000 people (40.8%). A total of 474,000 employed people (25.2%) have some incidence of the pandemic in the workplace. Of the unemployed, 507,000 people (96.3%) were affected in their search for employment. Finally, the labor incidence caused by the emergency affected about 154 thousand people (9.6%) outside the workforce.
Faced with the sudden change that the new normal generated in companies, employees are challenged to increase their skills to work remotely, adapt to more flexible contracts and refine their technological skills and cognitive qualities.
Telecommuting has become an everyday occurrence among companies in the region, which have had to adjust to the restrictions imposed by governments due to the outbreak of covid-19.
The Executive Branch endorsed the new law that allows companies to temporarily reduce the working hours agreed with their employees, in the context of the crisis generated by the covid-19 virus.
On the morning of March 21, the deputies gave the second debate with 47 votes and unanimous approval to file 21854, the law authorizing the reduction of working hours prior to the declaration of a national emergency, reported the Assembly.
Between the third and fourth quarters of 2019, the open unemployment rate in Costa Rica rose from 11.4% to 12.4%, partly because of the increase in women's unemployment.
In a year-on-year comparison, the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) report states that the national unemployment rate for the fourth quarter of 2019 remains unchanged from the fourth quarter of 2018 at 12.4%.
From January to March of this year, the unemployment rate stood at 11.3%, unchanged from the same period in 2018, and registering a slight reduction of less than 1% with respect to the fourth quarter of last year.
In this first quarter of 2019, 276,000 people were unemployed, and 47,000 more actively sought employment and did not find it compared to the first quarter of 2018.
From April to December 2018, the unemployment rate recorded a clear upward trend, rising from 8.7% to 10.2% between the second and third quarters and rising to 12% at the end of the year.
The National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) reports that for the fourth quarter of 2018, unemployment increased by 89 thousand people year-on-year, since it was estimated at 294 thousand people, of whom 148 thousand were men and 146 thousand women.
Although new jobs will emerge, technological changes will have a strong impact in the Central American region, where there is a high proportion of jobs with a high risk of automation.
According to forecasts made by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in 2018 it was estimated that 75% of workers in Guatemala and El Salvador are in high-risk automation jobs.
For the fourth quarter of 2018, 10% of companies in the country expect to increase their payrolls, 85% do not foresee changes and 4% anticipate a reduction.
From a report by the ManpowerGroup :
Employers in five regions foresee an increase in their workforce during Q4 2018.Employers in Heredia report the strongest hiring intentions with a Net Employment Outlook of + 11%.On the other hand, employers in San José and Cartago report a moderate hiring activity with Trends of + 9%, while the Tendency for Alajuela is located at + 8%.Employers in Guanacaste anticipate a slight increase in their workforce with a Trend of + 4%, however, in Puntarenas & Limón, hiring levels are expected to fall, reporting a Trend of -3%
Costa Rican employers report favorable hiring plans for the third quarter of 2018. 13% of employers expect to increase staffing levels, 4% anticipate a decrease, 82% forecast no change and 1% don’t know.
For the first quarter of 2018, 24% of companies in Costa Rica expect to increase their payrolls, 71% do not foresee changes and 4% anticipate a reduction.
From the ManpowerGroup report:
Comparative by Region Employers of the six regions foresee an increase in their workforce for the following quarter.The strongest hiring plans are reported in Heredia, where employers report a Net Employment Outlook of + 22%.
Costa Rican industrialists warn that increasing the minimum wage in the private sector by 34% will cause more unemployment and encourage more companies to operate unofficially.
The bill concerning the minimum wage will endanger plans for new hires in the private sector, and its passage into law could cause more informality and more unemployment. The proposal aims to increase the minimum wage by 34% for unskilled employees in the private sector.