Economy
If you are planning to live and work in Costa Rica, you should know that Costa Rica is Central America’s second largest economy behind Guatemala. The World Bank (2011) ranked Costa Rica’s over US$41 billion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) eighty-fourth out of 192 countries studied. The Legatum Institute ranked Costa Rica fortieth on its Economy Sub-Index (2013) out of 142 countries measured.
Costa Rica used to be known principally as a producer of bananas and coffee, but the contribution of manufacturing and industry to the country’s GDP overtook agriculture in the 1990s, led by foreign investment in Costa Rica’s free trade zone. Well over half of that investment has come from the United States. High-tech exports now account for a very high 42 percent of all manufactured exports. The country exports about US$10.4 billion of goods and services and imports US$15.4 billion. The United States is Costa Rica’s number one trading partner, representing about 38 percent of all exports and 40 percent of imports. China is the country’s second largest trading partner. The country also is rich in renewable energy. It gets about 99 percent of all its electrical energy from clean sources and is aiming to become carbon neutral by 2021.
GDP growth in 2013 is forecast to grow a healthy 4.2 percent. Unemployment remains high at just under 10 percent and inflation is growing at an annual rate of over 6 percent.
Finding a Job
Costa Rica is a Spanish-speaking country, which means finding the best jobs requires fluency in the language. The most widely available jobs for expats are teaching English, working as a tour guide, working at a tourist hotel or working in a call center. Jobs in international companies located in Costa Rica (Intel, HP, Boston Scientific, etc.) are very competitive. They most often tend to hire from the country’s highly educated workforce or relocate their own employees from foreign offices.
One of your best options to work in Costa Rica is finding a job in the U.S. or another country that will allow you to telecommute. The telecommunications infrastructure within the country is improving rapidly, with high-speed Internet connections available in most locations. While telecommuting is legal under Costa Rican law, expats must still go through the process of applying for residency and their income must be received from a business in another country. Other industries in Costa Rica that hire expats include tourism and real estate. Of course, another great option is starting your own business (see our Starting a Business section).
One of the first places to go in your search for work in Costa Rica is the Internet. Check craigslist.com, indeed.com or monster.com. Other options are contacting local language schools for English teaching jobs, checking listings in an English-language newspaper or joining a networking group. As always, local networking is key to finding a job. Check online forums and bulletin boards in your new area to meet people and establish relationships.
To get you started, here are a few websites that may help you in your job search:
Craigslist
Elempleo
Jobs in Costa Rica