Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

When compared to the same month last year, formal employment in companies that have 10 or more workers increased 8.6 percent in March 2008, reported Peru's labor ministry.

Formal employment in Metropolitan Lima rose 9.3 percent, while another 20 other urban cities saw a 7.1 percent increase in people that were legally hired by companies.

The country's labor ministry reported that Chincha, a city in the region of Ica located to the south of Lima, had registered the highest increase in new jobs.

There were 26.6 percent more jobs in the southern city in March 2007 than March 2008.

With 24.6 percent more formal jobs in 2008, the city of Paita, located to the north of the country in the Piura region, registered the second highest increase in formal employment.

The cities of Huancayo (16.3%), Pucallpa (13.6%), Tarapoto (12.4%) and Arequipa (10.9%) also showed significant increases in employment.

On the other hand, jobs went down in several cities located to the north of Lima such as Chimbote (-8.6%), Sullana (-8.6%) and Talara (-1.3%).

It was reported that the increase in jobs was due to more movement at supermarkets, department stores and shopping centers.

Another factor was the sale of construction equipment and an increase in the sale of soft drinks, beer, and spare parts for heavy machinery.

More investments made by communications and transportation companies also contributed to an increase in formal employment in Peru.