Global CityIntelligence

Economy & jobs

Economy and jobs in Panama City

Panama City has a government- and services-oriented economy with strengths in government, tourism and hospitality.

Economy type
Government center
Economy score
71/100

Economy overview

Panama City has a government- and services-oriented economy with strengths in government, tourism and hospitality.

Panama City, Panama is classified as a government center in our deterministic economy index. These are planning estimates derived from country economic priors and existing city signals — not measured GDP or labour-market statistics. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16.

Key industries

The sectors that most shape the local economy, derived deterministically from country and city signals.

Key industries

  • Government
  • Tourism
  • Hospitality
  • Finance
  • Education
  • Technology

Employment outlook

The breadth of the labour market and where opportunities concentrate.

Employment outlook

Employment71/100
Job market71/100

Panama City's labour market is strong, with opportunities concentrated in tourism and hospitality, technology and education and research.

Salary potential

Estimated pay levels and how far local incomes stretch against the cost of living.

Salary potential

Salary potential72/100
Affordability-adjusted income72/100

The affordability-adjusted income score combines estimated pay with the local cost of living, indicating how far a typical income stretches in Panama City.

Business environment

Conditions for operating and growing a business locally.

Business environment

Business environment72/100

This reflects infrastructure, institutional capacity, and the scale of the local market relative to peer cities.

Startup ecosystem

How supportive the local ecosystem is for new ventures.

Startup ecosystem

Startup ecosystem69/100
Innovation70/100

The startup ecosystem in Panama City is strong, supported by universities and skilled talent, a favourable business environment and strong infrastructure.

Remote work suitability

Suitability for remote and distributed work.

Remote work suitability

Remote work70/100
Remote job availability72/100

Panama City offers solid infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 70/100.

Career opportunities

Overall career opportunity and how it breaks down by sector.

Career opportunities

Overall career opportunity71/100
Technology69/100
Healthcare63/100
Finance66/100
Manufacturing53/100
Tourism75/100
Education66/100

Economy score

A 0–100 composite of employment, salary, business environment, startups, innovation, remote work, and affordability-adjusted income. Used consistently across the platform.

Economy score

Economy score71/100
Employment71/100
Salary72/100
Business environment72/100
Startup ecosystem69/100
Innovation70/100
Remote work70/100

Jobs score

A 0–100 labour-market composite and its sector components.

Jobs score

Job market71/100
Technology69/100
Healthcare63/100
Finance66/100
Manufacturing53/100
Tourism75/100
Education66/100
Remote availability72/100
Career opportunity71/100

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