Recent figures from the National Government, based on data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC)reveal an improvement in the country’s labor indicators: the unemployment rate fell from 10.4% to the 8.5% and informality decreased from 47.1% to the 45.8%. However, although 77,231 more employed people, specialists warn that there is still a lack of data to determine how many of these positions correspond to the formal sector and what their level of remuneration is.
In the midst of this panorama, accessing a job in a private company involves overcoming increasingly rigorous technological barriers. According to records from the Konzerta platform, in the last four years job applications in Panama grew by 53%. At the same time, the behavior of job seekers changed: while in 2022 a person applied on average to nine vacancies per month, by August 2026 the figure increased to 11 applications, representing an increase in 23%.
This massive volume of data led HR departments to turn to automation. He 63% of personnel selection specialists in Panama use tools of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their processes. Specifically, the 38% uses it to write job descriptions and the 25% to filter profiles by requirements and keywords.
On digital recruitment platforms such as Smart Process, from Jobint, an AI development designed to accompany companies in the selection of profiles. This technology performs an automatic pre-selection by comparing the resumes with the description of the vacancy. Those candidates who achieve more than 65% matches advance to the screening stage, in which the same AI carries out a pre-interview with automated questions.
Applicants with a lower affinity percentage are relegated to the evaluation section, where the evaluator can intervene or modify their status manually. According to Konzerta, the integration of this technology improves the productivity of recruiting teams in a 40%reduces hiring times by 45% and increases the conversion rate from applicants to hires by a 25%. The firm maintains that the final hiring decision stands 100% in the hands of professionals.
Faced with the automation of processes, the 46% of Human Resources specialists appreciate that applicants adapt their resumes to optimize reading through ATS (Applicant Tracking System) systems. To overcome AI filters, it is recommended to use accurate job titles, directly detail skills without including non-possessed competencies, keep profiles up to date, and accurately answer questions about experience and availability during evaluations.
