employment

"It's a significant amount of employment and they tend to be more highly skilled jobs."

For many Panamanians, the canal represents income, employment and identity.

Some pub owners have said they are looking at a 30p to 40p increase on a pint because of higher employment costs.

In recent weeks, the government said it was evaluating ministry employment rosters, removing ghost employees and those with multiple salaries, and suspending payments to military and security personnel of the old government.

As the dreaded emails started landing in their inboxes last week, many would-be workers were left scrambling, wondering if they needed to cancel travel plans, wriggle out of leases and line up other summer employment.