The Dominican Republic’s free zone sector ends the year with around US$7.9 billion in exports from traditional manufacturing free zones export physical goods, and service sector free zones, known as call centers “export” services, and this revenue is calculated into the sector’s total contribution to the GDP.
Miguel Lama, president of the Santiago Free Zone Corporation (CZFS), announced the sector has reached a historic milestone, surpassing 200,000 direct manufacturing and service jobs. The sector currently registers 200,134 positions, marking the highest employment figure in its history.
The 200,134 job figure includes the approximately 36,000 to 40,000 direct jobs generated specifically by call centers and BPOs. The jobs in call centers have attracted thousands of young people. The call centers and BPOs are typically the third or fourth largest employer within the free zone ecosystem, trailing behind medical devices, tobacco, and textiles.
Lama made the announcement during a meeting with industry representatives led by President Luis Abinader and the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs, Víctor “Ito” Bisonó. Attributing the surge to investor confidence and the dedication of the Dominican workforce, Lama noted that the sector experienced a 67 percent growth rate between 2020 and 2025.
The business leader highlighted the specific impact of the Víctor Espaillat Mera Industrial Park, which generates over 20,500 jobs, and noted that the Cibao region now accounts for 41% of all employment within the sector. Regarding workforce demographics, Lama emphasized that women occupy more than 54% of the positions.
President Abinader praised the sector’s performance as evidence of the country’s capacity to generate formal employment and attract both national and international investment, despite a challenging global environment.
Minister Bisonó provided additional data, reporting that the free zone regime now encompasses 97 parks and 861 companies, reflecting an increase of 45 parks and 436 new enterprises over the last five years. He highlighted that sector wages have increased by 66% since 2020 and that exports have reached US$7.936 billion, contributing approximately 3.1% to the national GDP. Lama concluded by affirming that this employment record is part of a broader ongoing process of productive expansion.
In the Dominican Republic, call centers and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies operate under Law 8-90, the same legislation that regulates manufacturing free zones. Consequently, the government and the National Council of Export Free Zones (CNZFE) officially count their employment and revenue numbers in the sector’s total statistics.
When the Ministry mentions 861 companies, that number encompasses the contact centers, which are often located in “Special Free Zones” (Zonas Francas Especiales) or dedicated service parks, such as those found in the metropolitan areas of Santo Domingo and Santiago.
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Hoy
29 December 2025