In the latest report by the Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (ECLAC) – United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean – Costa Rica has the second highest unemployment rate in the Latin America.
Colombia tops the ECLAC list with a 10.6% unemployment rate, followed by Costa Rica’s 8.3% for 2013. The report was dated December 2013.
According to figures by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos de Costa Rica (INEC) – Costa Rica’s statistics and census – unemployment rate for the third quarter (latest available stats) was 8.9%, falling from a high of 10.9% in 2011 for the same period.
Despite the drop, the rate is still higher than neighbouring countries like Nicaragua and Panama.
The high tourist season that began last month won’t be much of a relief for those seeking employment. The Cámara Nacional de Turismo (CANATUR), Costa Rica’s tourism board, reported earlier this month that 70% of tourism related business owners are not looking to hire new workers this season.