Panama City, Mar 4 (EFE). - The unemployment rate in Panama stands at 10.4%, reported the Comptroller General this Wednesday, representing an increase from the 9.5% recorded until October 2024, the previous measurement. In a brief press release, the Panamanian Comptroller's Office limited itself to indicating that 'the unemployment rate was located at 10.4%,' when reporting that 'between October 2024 and September 2025, 27,547 more people found employment, reaching a total of 1,968,748 workers, a growth of 1.4%.' 'Additionally, 45,469 people joined the labor force, which reflects greater confidence and participation in economic activity,' added an official statement from the comptroller's body. The official information did not specify the informality rate, which for October 2024 was 49.3%. Local analysts had already anticipated that unemployment had exceeded 10%, fueled not only by the slowness of the economy in sectors that generate large amounts of employment in Panama, but also by crises such as the one in the banana sector in 2025, where 6,500 people lost their jobs as a result of a union strike in rejection of social security reform. Although the 10.5% unemployment rate 'represents a challenge, the increase in the economically active population indicates that more people are going out to seek opportunities, which is a sign of dynamism,' stated the Comptroller General in its communiqué this Wednesday. 'The results show an economy in a process of adjustment and transformation, with sectors that are growing and generating real opportunities. The challenge now is to consolidate this dynamism, strengthen formalization and convert sectoral growth into more sustainable jobs for all,' added the letter.
