Ecuador’s unemployment rate has been steadily improving over the past 12 months. The nation’s current jobless rate rests at 3.48 percent, showing a 1 percent improvement since March 2014, reported Telesur.
The source explained that Ecuador has one of the best employment situations in all of Latin America. This is largely because the country’s government, the government of the Citizen’s Revolution, has made job creation and worker training a top priority. Through federally-sponsored partnerships with private companies, Ecuadorians have been able to gain access to job training programs, which in turn improve both the country’s labor situation and national production rates. One program, a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Work, the national Electric Company and the Ecuadorean Service of Professional Training has given 8,000 residents jobs installing cooktops in 13 of the country’s provinces.
In addition to these employment initiatives, Ecuador has also made strides toward protecting workers’ rights. Green Left reported that The Law for Labour Justice and Recognition of Work from Home was recently passed by Ecuador’s National Assembly. According to the source, the legislation, which was proposed by President Rafael Correa, will allow all citizens to receive social security and unemployment benefits. The amendment takes into account temporary workers and homemakers, who were previously not protected by employment laws.