Panama is facing significant economic repercussions, including a substantial loss of jobs. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), between August 2023 and October 2024, 54,107 formal non-agricultural jobs were lost. The provinces of Panama and Panama West bore the brunt of this, losing a combined 125,010 jobs, which is 71% of the jobs generated in both provinces during the Panama Canal expansion between 2009 and 2014. Key reasons for this include the mining shutdown and a strike against Chiquita Panama in mid-2025, which led to the loss of 11,143 formal agricultural jobs in Bocas del Toro and the Ngäbe Buglé comarca. While the overall employed population grew, the unemployment rate reached 10.4%, the highest in the last 20 years. Nevertheless, the second half of 2025 saw signs of improvement, driven by private investment and consumption.
