Foreign Companies Offer 3500 Jobs

By Beach Times Staff

Costa Rica's President, Óscar Arias, visited the Fifth Bilingual Employment Fair in San Jose Friday, giving a pat on the back to 27 foreign services and medical supplies companies which have offered as many as 3500 jobs to qualified Costa Ricans.

In an increasingly decelerating economy, a visibly thrilled President Arias said he believed the country maintained its competitive human resources edge over other countries in the region.

"Costa Rica, continues to be very competitive in this field, as the companies that have established themselves (in the country), continue to grow," he said, adding "this is due to a young, bilingual and well-educated population, not present in other Latin American countries."

Gabriela Llobet, General Director of the Costa Rican Coalition of Development Initiatives (CINDE), agreed the operations of the multinationals in the services and medical supplies fields, maintained a dynamic and positive growth.

© The Beach Times

HIGH HOPES: President Oscar Arias greets representatives from a company offering Mandarin language lessons at the Fifth Bilingual Employment Fair. 27 foreign-based companies are offering some 3500 jobs to qualified Costa Ricans--good news in a country, already feeling the pains of a shrinking economy. Photo Courtesy of Casa Presidencial

"The current state of foreign markets and the positive performance of companies established in our country have opened important opportunities for growth and for continuing to generate jobs in Costa Rica," she said.

President Arias said "it is wonderful that young people can be assured of finding a job with these foreign companies."

The fair, organized by CINDE at the National Cultural Center (CENAC), will continue until Sunday, February 22.