Business sector foresees few changes in hiring for next quarter

A study released this week by the University of Costa Rica (UCR) showed that 65.4 percent of private-sector employers do not anticipate hiring new workers for the remaining months of the year, and 14.5 percent are considering layoffs.

The results are part of the 14th Quarterly Survey of Business Opinions for the third quarter of 2013, conducted by the UCR’s Institute of Economic Sciences Research (IICE).

Business owners cited stability at their companies, meaning that the current number of employees is sufficient, and also capacity limitations, including physical space and equipment, the IICE report stated.

Compared to the same period in 2012, hiring expectations for the next quarter declined in all sectors except commerce, where 27 percent of business owners said they plan to hire new workers.

The survey was conducted by phone from May 27-June 12 among representatives of 475 companies.

Another study released in March by the Costa Rican Chamber of Industries of 200 local firms found that 60.7 percent expect to maintain payrolls at current levels, while 28.3 percent plan to increase them, and 6.3 percent are considering layoffs.