No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaCosta Rica unemployment rate remains among world's highest

Costa Rica unemployment rate remains among world’s highest

Unemployment in Costa Rica fell to 18.5% in the moving quarter from December to February, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Inec). Per World Bank data, that figure would place Costa Rica among the nations with the highest unemployment rates.

Compared to the same quarter of last year, unemployment in Costa Rica has increased by 6.3 percentage points. Women have a higher unemployment rate than men — 25.0% and 14.1%, respectively.

INEC estimates the employed population at 1.99 million people, which represents a statistically significant reduction of 235,000 people compared to the same time last year.

“The internal composition of the labor force shows a decrease in the employed population and an increase in unemployed people,” INEC says.

Meanwhile, the INEC calculated the underemployment rate — the percentage of employed people who work fewer than 40 hours a week and want to work more hours — at 17.1%, a 5.3 p.p. year-over-year increase.

Unemployment in Costa Rica had reached 12% in March 2020, already one of the highest levels recorded in the country until then, but it soared to 24% due to the impact of the pandemic in the moving quarter from May to July 2020.

Since then, the unemployment rate has experienced a slow decline as the economy has reopened.

Trending Now

Selva Coral Introduces Costa Rica’s Most Flexible Real Estate Investment Model

Immediate delivery with only 10% down and income generation during peak season South Jacó, Costa Rica – October 2025. While most real estate projects in...

Costa Rica Residency Backlog Hits 38,000 in October

Immigrants in Costa Rica continue to deal with long waits for their residence cards, known as DIMEX, as the immigration system struggles with backlogs....

Costa Rica U-17 Women’s Team Earns Historic Draw vs Brazil

Costa Rica's under-17 women's national soccer team marked a milestone in their history with a 1-1 draw against Brazil during the FIFA U-17 Women's...

Venezuela’s Maduro Asks Court to Strip Opposition Leader of Citizenship

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has filed a request with the country's Supreme Court to revoke the nationality of opposition leader Leopoldo López, accusing him...

Costa Rica Shaken by a Quake with No Injuries Reported

A strong earthquake struck near Quepos late last night, sending tremors across parts of our country and even into our neighbor Panama. The quake,...

Tamarindo Halloween Fest Boosts Local Economy

The coastal town of Tamarindo will host its fourth Halloween Fest from October 29 to November 1, drawing families, athletes, artists, and local business...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica