Employment figures plummet in Guayaquil and Ambato

The cities of Guayaquil and Ambato recorded statistically significant variations in terms of job losses.

According to figures from the Ecuadorian Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC for its Spanish acronym), in March 2016, 53.9% of workers in Guayaquil had a steady job (base salary, 40 hours per week and social security affiliation), while in March 2017 the percentage fell to 49.1%.

The same trend was followed in Ambato, whose indexes went from 51.2% to 46.6%.

The fall in employment also occurred in Quito: from 61.2% to 57.7%, although this fall is not considered statistically significant by the INEC.

Yesterday, the Chamber of Commerce of Guayaquil explained in a statement that, according to its view, there was a decline in employment indicators, thus revealing the need for economic growth, through tax stability and foreign investment.

The statement also recalled that despite the drop in unemployment figures from 5.7% to 4.4%, it could be noticed that adequate jobs have not been generated.