Despite the crisis, not all is bad news.
Although unemployment in Latin America exceeded 10% in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, some jobs experienced an increase in their demand.
Thus, health and technology became the two sectors with the greatest need for workers in 2020 compared to the previous year.
And although each country has its own particularities, there are some general trends that marked the evolution of the labor market in the region.
Jobs in the technology sector, which have been showing rising demand, took a giant leap in 2020 as a result of the confinements and transformations that companies have been forced to make to facilitate remote work.
“The pandemic accelerated the digital transformation of businesses. Many companies did in six months changes that could have taken years“Ramiro Llum, Director of Talent Solutions for LinkedIn Latin America, tells BBC World.
Intensive surveillance
And because of the health crisis, nurses, doctors and other health sector professionals and technicians are being needed more than ever.
“He nurse specializing in intensive care it was the most critical and most sought-after job in all places, ”explains Light.
“The intensive care nurse was the most critical and in-demand job in all positions,” says Ramiro Llum. GETTY IMAGES
In this context, the country in the region that experienced the greatest demand for such professionals was Brazil.
But in addition, the largest economy in the region increased the demand for professionals in the research and development (R&D) sector, such as pharmacists and biochemists, A new element that makes a difference with respect to the labor requirements of other Latin American countries.
The surprise of real estate and e-commerce
en Mexico, The second largest economy in the region, appeared in 2020 an unexpected element in the labor market.
“What has caught our attention is that in Mexico there is a high demand for real estate professionals,” explains Llum.
Although the real estate sector received a severe blow due to the coronavirus crisis, paradoxically the need arose for a rapid adaptation of the property rental and sale business model.
On the one hand, “many corporate spaces were left vacant,” the expert notes. But it is also true that with the decrease in interest rates and the price of houses, the demand for sector workers rose by 54% compared to 2019.
Another phenomenon that emerged in 2020 is the transfer of workers from the bank or the retail towards e-commerce.
For example, employees who worked as cashiers moved to jobs in logistics centers or storage that are critical to trade on line.
Many low-skilled jobs migrated from physical stores to online commerce logistics centers. GETTY IMAGES
Without a specific order and considering that each country has its own labor needs, these are, according to Ramiro Llum, some of the jobs with more demand in the largest economies in Latin America:
1- Front-end and back-end web developer
In the jargon of software developers there are two types of specialists: those who work in the “front-end” and those who work in the “back-end”.
The former develop the part of the software that interacts directly with users, while the latter process the information.
Alongside these developers are required programmers computers. The latter are responsible for “coding”, ie writing instructions in a computer language that the computer can read to perform tasks such as stock control in a warehouse or sales record.
While the need for developers and programmers is a trend in recent years, the pandemic has further raised the supply of jobs in this field. GETTY IMAGES
Experts say that in a few more years, those who do not know programming languages in developed countries will not be able to ascend professionally, as it will be a required skill such as reading or writing.
Other jobs in high demand are the SAP specialist (Business application software), which help improve all the processes of a company, and computer engineers specialized in the cloud.
2-Data Engineer
Data engineers are responsible for finding trends in data sets and develop algorithms to help make the raw information useful to the business.
This profession requires a deep knowledge of database design and multiple programming languages.
It’s a kind of work that is halfway between application developers and data scientists.
Other highly required professionals in the computer industry are validation analysts, machine learning engineers, and data architects.
3-Nurse
Faced with the health crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the most in-demand occupation in the region is that of a nurse specializing in intensive care.
However, the demand for doctors and all kinds of health workers rose exponentially.
Beyond the encouraging forecasts regarding the control of the pandemic thanks to the massive vaccination processes, the phenomenon of the growing demand for this type of professionals and technicians is a trend that has accelerated in recent years.
The pandemic triggered the need for health workers, including those specializing in mental health. GETTY IMAGES
And those countries that are experiencing a progressive process of population aging, will require even more health workers in the future.
Amidst the confinements, the need for has also grown mental health professionals, Including psychiatrists and psychologists.
4-Health support staff
To the above is added the need to count on nursing assistants, Which help patients in their processes of cleaning, care, feeding, medication administration and general care.
More professionals specializing in rehabilitation, physical and respiratory therapy, and people trained in the care of older adults are also needed.
5-Expert in digital marketing
As businesses were forced to suddenly accelerate their digital transformation, jobs also grew for those responsible for marketing strategies. social media marketing, Digital marketing consultants, brand positioning specialists and marketing assistants.
As more and more companies are closing physical stores and expanding their online operations, the demand for digital marketing experts has accelerated. GETTY IMAGES
6- director or coordinator of electronic commerce
E-commerce has given a boost to the job market in the region.
The field of work is very extensive because it includes from computer specialists to people who perform functions in centers of storage and distribution of products.
The director or coordinator of e-commerce, better known as “e-commerce manager“, He is responsible for managing an e-commerce project and understanding and controlling the sales process on line from beginning to end.
“The pandemic accelerated the digital transformation of business. GETTY IMAGES
Depending on the country, its names already vary, although it is basically the figure in charge of manage your online business.
In relation to e-commerce, other occupations that have prospered are those of distributors, supply chain assistants and storage team managers, as well as profiles related to logistics and transport.
7- Customer service representative
With the rapid digitalization of companies also increased the demand for all roles associated with customer service, such as the representative of the company that meets the requirements of consumers, as well as supervisors and team leaders who has this function.
They are usually the people who work in the so-called “call centers“.
8-Digital content generator
The digital content generator site includes people who offer creative services as copywriters, animators, illustrators, 3D artists and video editors.
In the generation of digital content, demand has risen. GETTY IMAGES
9-Business development specialist
A business development specialist or business development expert is the professional in charge of identifying new opportunities for a firm or leading an entrepreneurship from birth.
It is responsible for researching and creating new projects, managing the resources needed for their implementation and implementing the initiatives.
It is common for a business development specialist to generate specific analytical models for a signature.
10-Real estate agent
This work experienced an increase specifically in Mexico.
In Mexico, the supply of jobs in the real estate sector increased during 2020. GETTY IMAGES
This has created employment opportunities for roles as a real estate agent, property manager or real estate consultant.
___________________________________________
You can now receive notifications from BBC News World. Download our app and activate them so you don’t miss our best content.
Do you already know our YouTube channel? Subscribe!
OA
