Despite the location and the fiscal benefits that in some cases the countries of the region offer, the lack of education of the population will be the main barrier to continue attracting large investments.
The lack of guarantee of finding the competent and sustainable human capital necessary for the proper operation of companies is an issue that negatively influences the attraction of important investments in Central America.
35% of companies in Panama reported having difficulties filling job positions, mainly intermediate positions with a high level of training required.
According to the Talent Shortage Survey 2018, prepared by ManpowerGroup, the most difficult positions to cover are technicians, sales representatives, office support staff, accountants and financiers, heavy equipment drivers, computer support, engineers, chemists, customer service, lawyers, project managers, researchers, electricians, mechanics and welders.
It is estimated that between 2015 and 2020, Panama will need to hire around 68,000 employees with technical specialties, and the logistics sector will be the leader in the demand.
According to a labor market study carried out by the Ministry of Labor and Labor Development (Mitradel), estimates for from demand companiesfor technical personnel is high, with the logistics, industry, tourism, agriculture and construction sectors being those that most need staff with these capabilities.
In Costa Rica, "of the 126,000 students graduating with technical qualifications, between 2014 and 2016, the vast majority gained the lowest level qualification."
EDITORIAL
Figures from the most recent report on the State of Education in Costa Rica, continue to show serious deficiencies in the education system, not only at the technical and university level, but, even worse, in Primary school, where basic concepts that will serve as a foundation for secondary and university education are supposed to be consolidated.
The Morales administration expects to have ready next month the first draft of a law that regulates part-time work, which must be approved before February 2018.
Entrepreneurs have proposed increasing the proportion of foreign personnel that can be legally contracted by companies operating in the country, from 15% to 20%.
Lack of personnel with the qualifications demanded by local companies and the multinationals that decide to settle in Panama is the main reason behind the proposal put forward by the business sector to authorize the hiring of more foreign staff.
In September 2016 an annual increase of 10% was registered in the number of workers signed up with the social security department and a 5% increase was recorded in the average nominal wage.
Membership of the Nicaraguan Institute of Social Security (INSS) grew by 9.8% in September compared with the same month in 2015, with noteworthy sectors being trade, hotels and restaurants, with an increase of 18%, transport, storage and communications, with 17%, construction with 15% and community, social and personal services, with 11.5%, according to Central Bank of Nicaragua.
For every ten professionals in demand by private companies in Costa Rica between 2014 and 2016, 7 were computer and software engineers.
The growing demand for professionals in careers related to engineering, especially in the area of computing and software development, contrasts increasingly with the demand for professionals in other disciplines, such as social work, which are losing ground as the use of information technologies advances.
International labor mobility as an important factor in business competitiveness is being obstructed in Costa Rica by the inefficiency of the Department of Immigration.
EDITORIAL
Inefficiency is the right adjective to describe the management of the Department of Immigration and Alien Affairs, where"... there are more than 20,000 cases pending resolution."
Sales, operations and production are the areas in which Guatemalan entrepreneurs face the most difficulties in recruiting staff with the necessary skills.
Leadership, the ability to make decisions and to identify and solve problems are the skills most required by companies in Guatemala, and the most difficult ones to find when hiring staff.
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