For the international organization, during 2020, Guatemala's economy showed resilience, since in the context of the crisis caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, the GDP contracted only 1.5%.
According to the International Monetary Fund, in a context of favorable specialization of production and exports, resilience of remittances, and unprecedented support from monetary and fiscal policies, the drop in Guatemalan production was minimal compared to that reported in other Central American countries.
During the February to April 2021 quarter, the unemployment rate rose to 17.3%, a level that is lower than the 18.7% reported during the first three months of the year, a decrease that is reported in the context of the economic reactivation.
For the quarters between February, March and April 2020 to the last available quarter, the country has experienced significant impacts in the main indicators, as a result of a higher participation of people and greater access to the labor market due to the lifting of some sanitary measures arising from the Covid-19 sanitary emergency, informed the National Institute of Statistics and Census.
During March 2021, the Monthly Index of Economic Activity registered a -6% year-on-year variation, a decrease that is attributed to the effects of the sanitary emergency caused by Covid-19.
According to the most recent report of the General Comptroller's Office of the Republic, the Monthly Index of Economic Activity (IMAE) accumulated from January-March 2021 showed a decrease of 10.06%, compared to the same period of 2020.
After the Legislative Assembly ratified the country's accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the business sector is of the opinion that this will help consolidate the institutional reforms needed to make the State more efficient.
The Assembly informed that by approving in the second debate the bill 22.187, which contains the agreement on the terms of accession, the deputies gave the green light to Costa Rica's accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
During March 2021, the Monthly Index of Economic Activity reported a variation of 13% when compared to the levels reported in the same month of 2020, a period that was marked by the closure of the economy due to the pandemic.
The economic activities that most contributed to the positive result were: Manufacturing Industry and Commerce, and to a lesser extent, Mail and Telecommunications, Financial Intermediation and Other Services -related to health and net taxes-. These contributions were partially offset by the negative variations in agricultural activities, Transportation and Storage, and Hotels and Restaurants, highlights the report of the Central Bank of Honduras (BCH).
In the I Quarter of 2021, 58% of businessmen reported stability in employment, while 36% reported better economic conditions compared to the same period in 2020.
The I Business Perception Survey 2021, conducted by the Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial and Financial Associations (CACIF), indicates that 36% of the executives consulted, confirmed a recovery in their sales in the first quarter of the year, with a growth of up to 20% compared to the first quarter of 2020.
In March 2021, the Monthly Index of Economic Activity reported a 6.9% increase over the level recorded in the same month of 2020.
The Guatemalan economy continues to show positive signs, as after facing a crisis during 2020 due to the covid-19 outbreak, economic activity has recovered rapidly in the last months of last year and in the first quarter of 2021.
According to the IMF, the local economy is well positioned to support the recovery and overcome the deterioration of social indicators, which worsened due to the pandemic caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.
Strong remittances, pandemic-resilient productive specialization, and unprecedented economic policy support limited economic contraction in 2020, while the outlook for 2021 benefits from additional U.S. fiscal stimulus, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported.
After in January 2021 the Monthly Index of Economic Activity in the country registered an year on year increase of 0.7%, in February a lower growth was registered, which amounted to 0.2%.
The activities with the highest growth were: mining and quarrying, 24.5%, commerce, 6.2%, fishing and aquaculture, 5.6%, construction, 2.4%, and manufacturing industry, 2.3%, among others, informed the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN).
In order to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, local authorities decided that from Monday, May 3 through Sunday, May 9, all commercial establishments operating in the cantons of the Central Region and which are not classified as essential, must close to the public.
These establishments will be able to operate under the non-face-to-face modality by means of home delivery or self-service. The rest of the country will not be affected by closures, informed the Presidency of Costa Rica.
Reducing costs and barriers to foreign trade in Central American economies is key for the region to overcome the economic recession caused by the outbreak of Covid-19.
A report prepared by the World Bank explains that boosting economic activity and employing a higher percentage of the labor force are objectives that can be achieved through reforms that strengthen the private sector and attract investment.
After in January 2021 in the context of the crisis caused by the pandemic, the Monthly Index of Economic Activity at the national level reported a 6% decrease in year on year terms, in February a smaller drop was registered, amounting to 3.5%.
The drop recorded in February continues to reflect the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the damage caused by the tropical storms of November 2020, affecting the evolution of most economic activities, mainly in "... Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Fishing; Manufacturing Industry; Transportation and Storage; Hotels and Restaurants; Commerce; and Private Construction; these contractions have been partially offset by the boost in the services of Mail and Telecommunications and Financial Intermediation", informed the Central Bank of Honduras (BCH).
As from April 19, the curfew nationwide will be from 12:00 midnight to 4:00 a.m. the following day, the opening of bars with outdoor terraces and the holding of sports activities with the public will be allowed.
As from next Monday, April 19, the public will be allowed to attend outdoor sports activities with a 25% capacity and without liquor sales, informed the Ministry of Health.
During February 2021, economic activity fell 4.7% in year-on-year terms, a drop that evidences that the economic crisis caused by the covid-19 outbreak continues to affect Costa Rica.
According to the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR), as per the cycle trend series of the Monthly Index of Economic Activity (IMAE), the inter-annual variation of production reached its lowest point in June 2020, at which point it began a gradual recovery process.
For the mobile quarter from December 2020 to February 2021, the unemployment rate in the country decreased to 18.5%, a proportion that is slightly lower than the 19% reported for the period from November to January last year.
In this quarter, the unemployed population was 452 thousand people, an increase of 142 thousand people compared to the same mobile quarter of the previous year, informed the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC).
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