In Panama four out of ten companies failed to find the ideal candidates when they needed them.
Data from Manpower reveals that worldwide the talent shortage is around 40%, in Colombia it is 50% and in Panama 36%.Monica Flores, president of the group for the region, said that"...
Seven out of ten entrepreneurs in Costa Rica would be willing to implement training programs for young people in the academic-work placement format.
A statement from the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Enterprises (UCCAEP) notes that"...72% of employers would be interested in launching training programs under the dual mode and 83% said they already have accepted into their businesses students or trainees for internships or professional work experience."
The unemployment rate now reaches 10% in a population where 60% of workers have not completed high school, but teachers refuse to be evaluated on their ability in subjects they teach.
EDITORIAL
An article in Nacion.com cites statements by Victor Morales, Minister of Labour, on the rising unemployment levels in Costa Rica: "...There is a mismatch between supply and demand in the corporate sector. There is a demand for skilled technicians; but most of the Costa Rican labor force is unskilled. 60% have not finished high school; it is a national drama. "
Companies recognize how important managing a growing international and mobile workforce is for the future of their businesses, but they do not know how to do it.
Companies do not have an appropriate strategy to deal with the transformation that is happening the way of working in the world -from the convergence of five generations to operations spread across the planet- which will lead to a crisis in management, attraction and retention of talent, concludes the Workforce 2020 study, prepared by Oxford Economics and SAP.
Guatemala is losing attractiveness as a destination for investment by Koreans in the textile sector, because of the rise in the cost of labor, decreases in tax benefits, and falling demand from the United States.
An article on Koreatimes.co.kr reports that for a long time Guatemala has been seen by Korean investors as one of the best countries in which to operate a textile business due to its geographic proximity to the U.S.
The service sector is the fastest-growing (19.9%) with 53,129 social security contributors, about 8,850 more than in the same period in 2012. Up until last September 113,067 new contributors signed up, 15,104 more than the 97,963 reported in the same period last year.
Up until September 113 067 new contributors signed up , 15,104 more than the 97,963 reported in the same period last year.
When vacancies arise companies fill them paying the new employee less than before, and give them even more demanding requirements.
A Manpower study outlined in an article in Prensalibre.com notes that in Guatemala "requirements are increased when new staff are hired, however the wages offered are not in line with the international market.
For example, one company had a manager with a profile matching a salary of up to $3,138, this person resigned and his place was taken by a underling who had a salary of $1,255 and who, after the change in position, was offered $1,632. This person got a better opportunity and resigned, shortly after which the company attempted to hire a new manager with the requirements of the first but with the salary of the second.
Businesses are now demanding that their executives be young people who have better technical training and know a second language.
It is becoming more common for companies to ask that those who aspire to a management or leadership position have a Master's degree. Another important factor when hiring is an age range of between 25-35 years and that they have experience.
China is losing its cheap labor advantage, opening opportunities for growth in the manufacturing sectors of countries like Nicaragua.
According to a report by Stratfor, a geopolitical intelligence firm based in Texas, "China's economic problems have opened the door to 16 different countries, including Ethiopia, Mexico, Indonesia and Peru, to become global forces in the growth of the manufacturing sector, "noted an article in Americaeconomia.com.
Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador attract investment based on the exploitation of natural resources and unskilled, but cheap, labor.
A report by the Central American Institute for Fiscal Studies (ICEF), reveals that Central America recorded last year $9.70 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), with Panama and Costa Rica being the recipients of about 60% of these flows.
Rigid working structures remains an obstacle to be overcome by women, even though new technologies have made working conditions more flexible in the world.
According to Sonia Vanegas, country manager of Manpower, at a global level, for several years many companies have started to promote policies that are friendly to women's performance. "Many women still fail to establish the balance between personal and professional life due to, among other things, rigid schedules that keep them stuck in the office," says Vanegas.
High costs, legal uncertainty and insecurity are the reasons why Taiwanese investment is shying away from Honduras and also Guatemala.
So explained Elisa Chu Li-Hua , second secretary of the office of economic advice at the Taiwan embassy in Tegucigalpa. According to the diplomat, recently the global business advisory firm FTI Consulting evaluated 19 countries for investment risks, where Haiti, Venezuela, Honduras and Guatemala, are located in the top four, ie countries that are not suitable for investment.
In Guatemala investment is between 16% and 17% of gross domestic product, in Southeast Asia, the figure is between 25% and 35%.
Elperiodico.com.gt reports that a group of experts met last week in this country to discuss how to foster Guatemala’s growth. The analysis of the issue carried out by a member of The Growth Dialogue think tank can be extrapolated to most Central American countries.
In Latin America the growth of air services is from 6 to 8% per year, and the forecast is that it will accelerate to 12 or 14% in the next 5-10 years.
An article in Capital.com reports that "It is expected that demand for air travel in Latin America will exceed that of other regions in the next 20 years, which will be a challenge for Latin American airlines in terms of the use of advanced technology, increasingly reliable security systems and first class service for customers so as to compete in this dynamic market, issues that are being examined during the ninth forum of the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) which is taking place from today in Panama City . "
There are plenty of applicants for the posts, but there are few who are really qualified to meet the demands of each job.
A study entitled 'Lack of Talent 2011' by the firm Manpower Group shows that 30% of companies in Costa Rica say they have trouble finding certain types of staff such as technicians, salesmen and secretaries with the required skills.
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