The president of Panama’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture (CCIAP) has issued a stark warning about the nation’s labor market. Aurelio Barría Pino stated that job creation remains one of the country’s most urgent challenges, requiring immediate action to stimulate investment and economic growth. His comments come as official data shows a national unemployment rate of 10.4 percent alongside widespread informal work.
Recent statistics reveal nearly 785,000 people are working in the informal economy. This figure represents almost one out of every two workers in Panama. The numbers define the scale of a problem impacting both economic stability and family welfare across the country.
“Employment continues to be one of the most urgent issues for the country, not only for its impact on the economy but for what it means for the stability of Panamanian families,” Barría Pino said. [Translated from Spanish] He added that public perception confirms this reality, with finding work remaining a top national concern.
Economic Dynamism Key to Job Creation
Barría Pino explained that jobs are not created in a vacuum. He argued employment depends directly on the vitality of productive sectors. Construction, the Canal, mining, tourism, and commerce were identified as the primary engines of occupation. When these industries advance, employment grows. Their slowdown directly hurts job availability.
The business leader connected employment directly to private sector confidence. Talking about jobs means talking about investment, execution, and private sector growth, he contended. Sustainable employment cannot exist without companies that are willing to invest, operate, and expand their operations. Dynamizing the economy stands as the most effective practical policy for generating employment.
“The data are clear,” Barría Pino stated. [Translated from Spanish] “These figures define the magnitude of the challenge and the urgency of acting with focus.”
Specific demographic groups face disproportionate difficulties. Young people and women encounter greater barriers when trying to access formal employment according to the chamber president. A lack of experience and structural gaps continue to limit their insertion into the workforce. The core problem is not just a lack of jobs but the pronounced difficulty in accessing them.
Internship Law Presents a Pathway Forward
Proposed solutions must address this access gap. Simply generating job openings is insufficient. Barría Pino highlighted the new Internship Law as a step in the right direction because it attacks the experience gap directly. The law connects academic training with real workplace experience.
Its value lies in transforming a first opportunity into an entry door rather than an obstacle. Success, however, is not guaranteed by the law itself. Effective execution requires business commitment and strong coordination with the Ministry of Labor.
“From the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture of Panama we are assuming that role: driving its implementation, promoting good practices, and turning this tool into real opportunities,” Barría Pino affirmed. [Translated from Spanish] He confirmed the chamber is already working actively on this initiative.
Panama possesses the foundational elements to overcome this significant labor challenge. Barría Pino reiterated that execution is now the critical key. Formal employment will not be resolved with isolated measures. He insisted coordinated action is necessary to convert economic growth into concrete opportunities for the workforce.
The chamber’s public stance places renewed emphasis on a persistent economic issue. It signals a call for collaborative policy between the government and private sector to translate macroeconomic activity into tangible job growth for Panamanians.