20,000 résumés and a clear signal: Chiriquí needs jobs now

Unemployment in western Panama continues to rise. This reality is faced daily by thousands of professionals in Chiriquí who are hoping for the arrival of companies and projects that can open doors to the talent available in the province.

According to data from the Data Observatory of the Faculty of Economics at the Autonomous University of Chiriquí, the province has experienced sustained migration between 2013 and 2023. A total of 114,095 residents of Chiriquí have left the region in search of job opportunities. In percentage terms, more than 11% of the province’s population has migrated.

This situation is further compounded by recent figures that highlight the severity of the issue. According to the Labor Market Survey as of September 2025 by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), analyzed by business consultant René Quevedo, the province of Chiriquí lost 36,357 jobs in 2025, of which 35% were formal positions. The impact has been most significant in key sectors such as agriculture, retail trade, and hotels and restaurants.

Amid this context, one figure reveals both the urgency and the hope of thousands of families: 20,000 résumés have been submitted through the employment portal of the Puerto Barú Project in David, making this private investment one of the most tangible opportunities for thousands of people in Chiriquí to access formal employment without leaving their province.

The surge in job applications not only confirms the strong interest in what is considered the largest logistics project in the history of the province—representing an investment of more than USD 250 million—but also clearly exposes the shortage of opportunities for professionals. Behind each résumé lies a pending decision: to stay and invest in Chiriquí or to become part of a growing migration statistic.

For Felipe Vinicio Rodríguez, a Chiriquí-based entrepreneur and former president of the Chiriquí Chamber of Commerce and Industries, the province is facing a reality that can no longer wait: unemployment has already exceeded 11%, placing increasing pressure on a young population that demands real opportunities in order to avoid migration.

“It is necessary to respect the country’s legal certainty, especially when it comes to projects that have complied with technical processes and have been evaluated and approved by the relevant authorities,” Rodríguez stated.

Strategic projects such as Puerto Barú in David are no longer an option—they are a national necessity. They represent a concrete alternative that would not only stimulate the economy but also strengthen the connectivity of western Panama with the country’s broader logistics development.

Data:

As of October 2024, Chiriquí ranked among the provinces with the highest unemployment rates in the country, reaching 11.9%, second only to Veraguas (12.3%) and Panama (12.1%).

In just five months since the start of its preliminary phase, Puerto Barú in David has generated 89 direct jobs and 31 indirect jobs. The workforce is 100% local from the province of Chiriquí, and during the construction phase, the project is expected to generate approximately 1,200 jobs.