The Director of Employment at the Ministry of Labor and Workforce Development (Mitradel), Marlon del Cid, stated that analyses carried out by the Labor Market Observatory show a one percentage point decrease in the unemployment rate during 2026, a result he attributed to the strategies implemented to promote job creation.

He explained that during the first four months of the year, hiring grew by 25 percent, with a particular impact from permanent contracts, considered one of the main indicators of job stability.

Del Cid specified that this trend shows a progressive recovery of the labor market after more than a decade in which the public sector played a predominant role in job creation.

Currently, he added, the private sector is the main driver of new job opportunities, through ongoing coordination with the government to boost hiring.

The official also highlighted the progress of the “Working Women, Moving Forward Panama” strategy, designed to facilitate women’s access to formal employment.

He pointed out that, through awareness campaigns and business networking events held in the central provinces and the capital, more than 120 women benefited from direct connections to job opportunities.

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