53% of companies anticipate to be back to pre-COVID-19 hiring level in 6-12 months
Approximately 53% of companies in Panama estimate that between 6 and 12 months they could be recovering the rate of hiring that they had before the new coronavirus pandemic, revealed a survey conducted by Manpower Group.
Ariel Ayala of Manpower Group indicated that 20% of those surveyed answered that they did not know in how long it would take their hiring pace back, and 30% foresee that this recovery could take place in two years or more.
“Respondents tell us, in almost 53% of cases, that in a range of 6 to 12 months they will be recovering the pace before the pandemic ... what we read about this is that there is a certain optimism for part of the business sector to be able to achieve a recovery in the labor market during the next 6 to 12 months, means that in the next 3 months we will continue to see contractions, but it is very likely that in 6 months we will no longer see contractions, and in 12 months at least half of the businesses are hiring more or less at the rates we had prior to the pandemic," Ayala explained on RPC Radio.
Regarding the work modality, 2% of the companies foresee that teleworking will remain permanent, almost 70% estimate that they will be using mixed systems, that is, some days from home and other days in person at the office, or 100% office schemes.
On the other hand, Ayala pointed out that the survey showed that currently the net employment trend is -8%, which means that of every 100 jobs that are held as of March 30, by June 30 there will be 92, and 8 people would have lost their jobs.
“One reading that we have to do immediately is that it is a very sensitive moment in the labor market, where all of us who are working in some way have to take great care of our work because layoffs are actually expected for the next three months. Now, not everything is bad, there are very encouraging things, for example, two quarters ago the net employment trend was -18%, that is to say that six months ago the rate of disengagement was much stronger than the rate that we are seeing today, that gives us the impression that perhaps the worst of the pandemic, in economic-labor terms, may have already passed," he explained.
“Respondents tell us, in almost 53% of cases, that in a range of 6 to 12 months they will be recovering the pace before the pandemic ... what we read about this is that there is a certain optimism for part of the business sector to be able to achieve a recovery in the labor market during the next 6 to 12 months, means that in the next 3 months we will continue to see contractions, but it is very likely that in 6 months we will no longer see contractions, and in 12 months at least half of the businesses are hiring more or less at the rates we had prior to the pandemic," Ayala explained on RPC Radio.
Regarding the work modality, 2% of the companies foresee that teleworking will remain permanent, almost 70% estimate that they will be using mixed systems, that is, some days from home and other days in person at the office, or 100% office schemes.
On the other hand, Ayala pointed out that the survey showed that currently the net employment trend is -8%, which means that of every 100 jobs that are held as of March 30, by June 30 there will be 92, and 8 people would have lost their jobs.
“One reading that we have to do immediately is that it is a very sensitive moment in the labor market, where all of us who are working in some way have to take great care of our work because layoffs are actually expected for the next three months. Now, not everything is bad, there are very encouraging things, for example, two quarters ago the net employment trend was -18%, that is to say that six months ago the rate of disengagement was much stronger than the rate that we are seeing today, that gives us the impression that perhaps the worst of the pandemic, in economic-labor terms, may have already passed," he explained.