{"id":2027,"date":"2022-09-15T22:25:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-15T21:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/?p=2027"},"modified":"2024-09-03T15:42:20","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T14:42:20","slug":"money-matters-costa-rica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/money-matters-costa-rica\/","title":{"rendered":"Costa Rica, a caring country and hotspot for global investment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<header class=\"entry-header bg-adp-tan block--article-header alignfull block--article-header anchor-bottom\" >\n\n  \n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full entry--image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1439\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/PFWRJE.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2028\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/PFWRJE.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/PFWRJE-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/PFWRJE-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/PFWRJE-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/PFWRJE-1600x1199.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/PFWRJE-1536x1151.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group entry--title-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"entry--social-share\">\n  <ul>\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/money-matters-costa-rica\/&#038;t=Costa Rica, a caring country and hotspot for global investment\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/themes\/rethink-quarterly\/img\/facebook.svg\" alt=\"Facebook logo - click to share this article on Facebook\"><\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=Costa Rica, a caring country and hotspot for global investment&#038;url=https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/money-matters-costa-rica\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/themes\/rethink-quarterly\/img\/twitter.svg\" alt=\"Twitter logo - click to share this article on Twitter\"><\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Frethinkq.adp.com%2Fmoney-matters-costa-rica%2F\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/themes\/rethink-quarterly\/img\/linkedin.svg\" alt=\"LinkedIn logo - click to share this article on Facebook\"><\/a><\/li>\n  <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n            <a class=\"entry--tag tag-style\" href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/money-matters\/\">Money matters in<\/a>\n\n        \n  <h1 class=\"entry-title\">Costa Rica, a caring country and hotspot for global investment<\/h1>\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-summary-style\">This stable Central American country\u2019s attractiveness for foreign investment has created more than 85,000 jobs in the past five years.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n  <div class=\"entry--meta content-width\">\n           <p class=\"authors\">By\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/author\/adam-williams\/\">Adam Williams<\/a>\n\n             \n         \n     <\/p>\n    \n  \n  <p>15 September 2022  <span class=\"desktop-only\">\u2014<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/issue-6-care\/\">Issue 6: Care<\/a> \n  <\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\n<\/header><!-- .entry-header -->\n\t<div class=\"entry-content content-width\">\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a folkloric national hymn about Costa Rica from the 1930s that you\u2019ll hear at most festivals, school presentations and holiday celebrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The song, \u201cMi Linda Costa Rica\u201d (\u201cMy Pretty Costa Rica\u201d), written by Nicaraguan singer Tino L\u00f3pez Guerra, includes the refrain: \u201cFor being so pretty they call Costa Rica \/ The Switzerland of Central America.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though younger generations of <em>ticos<\/em>, as Costa Ricans are known, consider the song outdated, the nickname has stuck. Costa Rica continues to be called the Switzerland of Central America in news reports and books about the small Central American nation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are some comparisons. Costa Rica is a peaceful, progressive, neutral nation with no army that is and has been \u2014 for generation after generation \u2014 a beacon of stability in a region often marked by political and social unrest.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was by design. Following the conclusion of the nation\u2019s civil war in 1948, President Jos\u00e9 Figueres Ferrer, a coffee farmer who led the revolution, established principles for the future of Costa Rica. The national military was abolished. Women were given the right to vote. An independent supreme electoral tribunal was created, and a new constitution was written.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The post-revolution Costa Rica would prioritize government funding for education, health, social programs and the environment. Figueres said in 1948: \u201cIt is time for Costa Rica to return to the traditional position of having more teachers than soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Economic flourishing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, 74 years later, those pillars of social welfare, democracy and stability remain intact in Costa Rica. The Central American country ranks among the highest in Latin America in terms of literacy, life expectancy, government transparency and environmental protectionism.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThirty-two years ago when the first free-trade zones law was enacted in Costa Rica, we exported just a few agricultural products such as bananas, pineapples and coffee,\u201d says Ronald Lachner, vice chair of the Association of Free Trade Zone Companies of Costa Rica (AZOFRAS). \u201cNow, the diversification of Costa Rican export products is enormous. Today, our principal export products are medical devices, something that no one would have imagined years ago.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"block--sidebar bg-adp-navy alignright\"><div class=\"block--sidebar__inner\">\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Everything about Costa Rica<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Population: 5.2 million<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Total workforce: 2.4 million\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Capital: San Jos\u00e9, metropolitan area pop. 1.4 million\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Land size: 51,179 sq km<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Official language: Spanish<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Currency: Costa Rican col\u00f3n (CRC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Affiliations: OECD, WTO, IMF, U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>GDP: $64.3 billion in 2021<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>GDP per capita: $12,509<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Minimum monthly wage for unskilled workers in 2022: 326,253 CRC ($490)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Average monthly wage in San Jos\u00e9 in 2021: 565,900 CRC ($848)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source: World Bank and&nbsp;Costa Rica\u2019s Ministry of Labor and Social Security<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>As a result, economic and development opportunities in Costa Rica are flourishing. In July, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.investmentmonitor.ai\/fdi-data\/2022-inward-fdi-performance-index-costa-rica\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Investment Monitor<\/a> ranked Costa Rica as the top nation in the world on their Inward Foreign Direct Investment Index, which measures a country\u2019s inbound foreign investment against gross domestic product. The biggest winners are some of the smallest countries: Costa Rica is followed by North Macedonia, the United Arab Emirates and Croatia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The report says almost two-thirds of Costa Rica\u2019s total inbound greenfield FDI in 2021 came from the sectors of technology, business and professional services, and life sciences. \u201cAlthough the country continues to be a key outsourcing hub, investors are seeing its potential for manufacturing and R&amp;D operations, particularly relating to life sciences and tech,\u201d Investment Monitor wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Costa Rica received foreign direct investment in 2021 from U.S. companies Intel Corp., which announced a new $250 million expansion of its existing facility in the country, and Concentrix, which announced it was creating 1,000 new jobs in Costa Rica in the first half of 2021. Other recent tech investments include global companies such as Hewlett Packard, Uber and Amazon, which employs 18,000 people in Costa Rica, Lachner says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to technology investment, the Costa Rica medical services and devices industry is booming in terms of investment and exports. In 2021, Terumo BCT announced the opening of a new medical device product manufacturing facility that would create 700 jobs, and Moog, another U.S.-based medical devices company, announced it would create 600 more jobs for software development engineers at its research and development center located in one of the country\u2019s free-trade zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/daZIoyJhk8A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/luis-diego-aguilar-daZIoyJhk8A-unsplash-1024x720.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2029\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/luis-diego-aguilar-daZIoyJhk8A-unsplash-1024x720.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/luis-diego-aguilar-daZIoyJhk8A-unsplash-300x211.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/luis-diego-aguilar-daZIoyJhk8A-unsplash-768x540.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/luis-diego-aguilar-daZIoyJhk8A-unsplash-1536x1080.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/luis-diego-aguilar-daZIoyJhk8A-unsplash-2048x1440.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Luis Diego Aguilar on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u201cOutward-looking model\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (CINDE) in 2000, there were only eight medical technology companies in Costa Rica. As of 2021, there were 88 such companies, which included a workforce of more than 38,248, up from 1,500 in 2000. Medical devices are now the country\u2019s top exported product.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"block--sidebar bg-adp-navy alignright\"><div class=\"block--sidebar__inner\">\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Costa Rica\u2019s multinational companies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Medical technology companies: 92<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Workforce: 44,000<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Export revenue: $5.2 billion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital technology companies: 119&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Workforce: 70,000<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Export revenue: $5 billion in technology services exports\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Services companies: 194<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Workforce: 65,000\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Export revenue: $5.7 billion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Manufacturing sector companies: 85<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Workforce: 17,200<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Export revenue: $3.2 billion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source: CINDE, 2021<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cSince the 1990s, the economic strategy in Costa Rica has been an outward-looking model, one open to foreign trade and foreign direct investment,\u201d says Alejandro Abarca, a Costa Rican economist, data analyst and former government advisor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not unusual to see the Costa Rican president and high-ranking ministers meeting with CEOs from other countries or large companies seeking to bring investment to the country,\u201d he says. \u201cCarlos Alvarado, who just completed his term as Costa Rica\u2019s president, secured the biggest Microsoft center in all of Latin America. This wasn\u2019t just luck. This was a process of conversations that went on for several years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Microsoft, which has operated in Costa Rica for 28 years, had just 60 employees in the country in 2018, but now has 1,500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Because of the enormous talent, potential and growth that we have witnessed since our arrival in the country, we have chosen Costa Rica for Microsoft&#8217;s largest operations in Latin America. Here, we have established a dynamic platform to develop qualified and high-value talent and we&#8217;re betting on Costa Ricans, by placing our Latin American regional centers here, for both Technical Customer Service and Internal Sales,&#8221; says Ineke Geesink, Microsoft Country Manager in Costa Rica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Microsoft investment, as well as other technology, medical devices and services sector investments that are pouring into Costa Rica, are a result of the country\u2019s reputation for stability and a qualified and educated workforce, Abarca says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">\u201cThe most important pillars of the economic model are stability, the good image the country has and strong human capital that is available at a low cost,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are great engineers, technical and skilled workers in the country, for example, that speak English and you can pay at local wages. This makes Costa Rica a great outsourcing option.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Costa Rica&#8217;s poverty has declined as investment rises<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart\" data-src=\"visualisation\/10775606\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Companies flooding in<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Amid a growing list of accolades and recognition for CINDE, in March, the United Nations International Trade Center (ITC) ranked the Costa Rican investment promotion agency as the highest performer among 85 international organizations reviewed for the fifth year in a row.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2021, CINDE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prnewswire.com\/news-releases\/cinde-announces-costa-rica-sets-investment-projects-record-for-second-year-in-a-row-301443647.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> a record 103 new investment projects, a 30% increase from 2020, which created 19,725 new jobs in the country. A total of 32 new companies committed to invest in Costa Rica in 2021, while greenfield projects have grown at an annual rate of 15% over the last five years, according to CINDE.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Poverty has declined in Costa Rica as foreign investment has increased since 1990, with the introduction of the free-trade zones. According to AZOFRAS, the average salary for the approximately 190,000 employees working at more than 400 multinational companies within free-trade zones is $1,626 per month \u2014 more than three times the minimum wage.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The free-trade zones, where foreign companies are granted a series of tax exemptions, have been a central piece of Costa Rica\u2019s economic success. Companies operating in the free-trade zones accounted for almost 12% of the national gross domestic product in 2021, according to the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNine out of every 10 jobs created in Costa Rica in 2021 were created by companies that operate in free-trade zones,\u201d Lachner says. \u201cThey are the principal motor for the economy and principal sector in terms of employment generation. More than half of the country\u2019s total exports come from free-trade-zone companies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In April, Costa Rica passed a new law to provide more tax and logistical incentives to companies that set up operations in free-trade zones outside of the country\u2019s main metropolitan area. This includes a lower initial investment minimum, expedited permitting and reduced rates for social tax contributions. One of the hopes is that the new law will encourage companies to set up sustainable theme parks in regions where the country receives large amounts of tourists, such as the Pacific coast, Lachner says.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese could be canopy or zipline parks, or even something as big as a Disney World,\u201d Lachner says. \u201cThe idea is that these parks are in harmony with nature and dedicated to the enjoyment of Costa Rica\u2019s biodiversity.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Costa Rica\u2019s tourism industry welcomes around 3 million tourists each year, and a robust agriculture industry produces and exports goods such as pineapples, bananas and coffee. Additionally, the country is a world leader in renewable energy production and carbon neutrality and, since 2014, has annually generated around 98 to 99% of its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trade.gov\/energy-resource-guide-renewable-energy-costa-rica\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">electricity with clean sources<\/a> such as hydropower and wind.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While investment continues to grow, one thing Costa Ricans and multinational companies can depend on is stability, both in the national economy and political realm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMany Costa Ricans that leave to study elsewhere often return to Costa Rica because they know there will be jobs and political stability,\u201d Lachner says. \u201cHere we don\u2019t have the threat of a populist government coming in with outlandish ideas to disrupt the system. What we have is a robust system that maintains stability and is proven to function.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"block--sidebar bg-adp-navy alignwide\"><div class=\"block--sidebar__inner\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Payroll in Costa Rica<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Employment law in Costa Rica is overseen by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Costa Rican employers make deductions from employee\u2019s monthly salaries, which include three contributions determined by salary. Employers in Costa Rica deduct 10.5% of an employee\u2019s salary, which includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>5.5% to social security (health care and maternity insurance)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4% to the state pension (old age, disability and death)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1% to Banco Popular, a state entity promoting economic development<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Employers make additional contributions that total 26.5% of gross salary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>9.25% to social security\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>5.25% to the state pension<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>12% divided among various funds and supplementary pension contributions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As for individual taxes, employees in Costa Rica pay between 0% and 25% in income taxes depending on their income bracket. They also make monthly social security contributions of 10.5%.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Costa Rican employees are entitled to two weeks of vacation for every 50 weeks of work. By law, Costa Rican employees also receive a 13th salary in December, known as an <em>aguinaldo<\/em>, which is similar to a Christmas bonus.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Sources: INEC Costa Rica, BizLatinHub, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oecd-ilibrary.org\/sites\/fe000c6c-en\/index.html?itemId=\/content\/component\/fe000c6c-en\">OECD<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"block--author\">      <div class=\"block-author__inner\">\n        <div class=\"author--image\">\n                      <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/author\/adam-williams\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/adam_williams-298x305.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n                  <\/div>\n        <div class=\"author--info\">\n                      <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/author\/adam-williams\/\" class=\"author--name\">Adam Williams<\/a>\n\n          \n          <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam D. Williams is a journalist and writer based in Mexico City. Williams has covered Latin America since 2009 and previously lived in Costa Rica from 2009-2013, where he was Bloomberg\u2019s Central American and Caribbean correspondent. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Financial Times, El Pa\u00eds, Bloomberg Businessweek and Bloomberg, and he was most recently an investigative reporting fellow with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ). <\/span><\/p>\n          <div class=\"block--author-social\"><ul class=\"author--socials\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/awilliams_mex\" title=\"Twitter\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-twitter-square\"><\/i><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/adam-williams-a3a55014\/\" title=\"LinkedIn\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin\"><\/i><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/adamdwilliams.com\/\" title=\"Author Website\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fas fa-globe\"><\/i><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n       <\/div>\n\n<div class=\"block--recommended-content alignwide is-style-bg-adp-tan\"><div class=\"block-recommended-content__inner\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Read more<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"block--article-pushpoint pushpoint__small\">      <div class=\"block-article-pushpoint__inner\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/real-people-talk-pay-suez-egypt\/\">\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--image\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/six-in-suez-1084x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--info\">\n                    <span class=\"pushpoint--title\">How six people in Suez earn their Egyptian pounds<\/span>\n          <p>This important port city in Egypt, connecting Europe and Asia, is home to about 774,000 people.<\/p>        <\/div>\n      <\/a><\/div> <\/div>\n\n<div class=\"block--article-pushpoint pushpoint__small\">      <div class=\"block-article-pushpoint__inner\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/cuneiform-tablets-secrets-mesopotamian-payroll\/\">\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--image\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/GXNHC0-1084x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--info\">\n                    <span class=\"pushpoint--title\">Cuneiform tablets reveal secrets of Mesopotamian payroll<\/span>\n          <p>Early payroll records were among humans\u2019 first steps toward a writing system, explains Ali H.O. Bnayan, an archaeologist and cuneiform expert from the Iraq Museum.<\/p>        <\/div>\n      <\/a><\/div> <\/div>\n\n<div class=\"block--article-pushpoint pushpoint__small\">      <div class=\"block-article-pushpoint__inner\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/money-matters-bahamas\/\">\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--image\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Screenshot-2023-10-13-at-17.31.45-1084x576.png\" alt=\"\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--info\">\n                    <span class=\"pushpoint--title\">The Bahamas, a small island nation with big business<\/span>\n          <p>Businesses around the world entrust this small Caribbean country with their financial dealings. <\/p>        <\/div>\n      <\/a><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-group alignfull section--sign-up has-background\" style=\"background-color:#7967ae\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-default has-white-color has-text-color has-large-font-size\"><a href=\"\/sign-up\/\">Sign up<\/a> to keep up to date with ReThink Q.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This stable Central American country\u2019s attractiveness for foreign investment has created more than 85,000 jobs in the past five years.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2028,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[245,242,244,243,44],"coauthors":[227],"class_list":["post-2027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","tag-central-america","tag-costa-rica","tag-foreign-investment","tag-latin-america","tag-payroll","issue-issue-6-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - 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