Western Union to cut over 1,000 jobs in Costa Rica

Western Union is planning to reduce its operations in Costa Rica, which could result in more than 1,000 job cuts over the next 12 months. According to internal communications, the company intends to relocate several functions to Guatemala, Lithuania, and the Philippines. The firm aims to establish its regional operations center for the Americas in Guatemala City, a process expected to be largely completed by mid-2027.

The company stated that these adjustments follow a comprehensive business review intended to increase the efficiency of its financial network and place support services in locations that best meet the needs of clients and agents. While the company is not closing its entire presence in Costa Rica and maintains that money transfer services will continue without interruption, the scale of the reorganization is significant. Previously, Western Union employed approximately 1,244 people in Costa Rica.

Local perspectives suggest that the move may be driven by competition from modern digital payment technologies and economic factors, including the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on operational costs for multinational corporations in the country.