Costa Rica job forecast ‘moderate’ for next quarter, study finds

Business owners in Costa Rica anticipate a “modest hiring climate” for the third quarter of this year, according to a study by consulting firm Manpower, released Tuesday.

Manpower’s Employment Outlook Q3 is based on 620 interviews of local employers.

The survey found that only 16 percent said they expect to increase staff, while 11 percent plan to reduce the number of payroll workers. Seventy-three percent do not foresee any changes in the next three months.

“The data show that the lack of external demand and a reduction in domestic demand is affecting employers’ confidence,” said Eric Quesada, commercial director for ManpowerGroup Centroamérica.

“The expectation for this quarter is the least optimistic since that in the last quarter of 2009,” he added.

According to the study, employers from the trade and services sectors are the most optimistic. By contrast, the construction and manufacturing sectors saw the most staff reductions in the past year.