The Panamanian consumers believe that unemployment will rise in the country during the next 12 months.
This vision was revealed by a national survey of Index of Confidence by the Panamanian Consumer of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP).
The indicator of unemployment recorded by the survey reaches 99 points, which according to the pollsters, is below the break-even point.
This indicator keeps relation with the indicators by Comptroller General of the Republic that recorded that in the two last years the rate of unemployment went from 4.1% to 5.6%
In 2015, the unemployment rate was already in 5.2% in last March it went up to 5.6%, showing an increase of 0.4 percentage points.
Apparently, businessmen have not fully recovered confidence in Panama's economy.
US-based transnational Manpower´s data were announced in September that net job expectancy is + 9% and that employers keep hiring plans cautiously "optimistic for the fourth quarter of 2016".
The rate of unemployment in the country is so much evident that although the last quarter of the year is the period in which traditionally more hires are generated, this year will be the exception, since an expectation of low employment is expected in relation to other years.
"We're seeing an economic situation of contraction and the complaints are permanent, even businessmen complain, because there are factors that are not allowing the money to circulate as it used to before," said Pedro Acosta, of the National Union of Consumers and Users of Panama (Uncurepa).
The situation, according to this representative of consumers, could worsen because for the end of year shops hire personnel, but January, February and March are the most difficult months.
The economic downturn which Acosta makes mention is reflected also in the downward of estimated growth registered by international bodies such as the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund.
The WB lowered its projection from 6% to 5.6%, the IMF from 6.1 to 5.2 and the ECLAC reduced it from 5.9% to 5.4%.
The picture does not seem to change, since the various economic activities continue to decline. According to statistics by the Comptroller´s Office published this week, the registered amount of new construction projects, one of the economic engines of the country, fell in 12% at September of the year in course.
Likewise, the value of exports declined in 8.1%, imports in 4.1%, the commercial movement of the Colon Free Zone fell in 10.8% transit through the Canal in 6.6%, and the movement of cargo in the ports system in 18.2%.
But the survey also records that although Panamanians perceive that unemployment will rise, they keep confidence in the economic situation of the country and their household´s finances in the future.
For Pedro Acosta, of National Union of Consumers and Users of Panama (Uncurepa), most of these indicators are far from the reality of Panamanians because the falls are higher and the reality of Panamanians is far more complicated.
Meanwhile, Economist, Juan Jované said that there is a "psychological factor", because people tend believe that everything will always be alright.
"What people are thinking is that the economy is going to get harmed, but that it is not going to harm them, that is quite human", he said.
Manuel Ferreira, director of Economic Affairs of the (CCIAP), explained that the perception of individuals is obvious about the rise of unemployment, because for people who do not have employment this is "something practical".
Meanwhile, for Adolfo Gaffoglio, country manager of Ipsos, the level of unemployment is at present in a “healthy index ".