Colombia, Argentina and Brazil account for more than half of U.S. hires in Latin America

Hire With Near’s placement data shows Colombia, Argentina and Brazil led U.S. hiring across Latin America in both 2025 and the first half of 2026, though the order shifted. The findings point to where U.S. companies are concentrating remote hiring as demand spreads across more countries.

Why it matters: - U.S. companies hiring in Latin America are still clustering around three markets, even as the mix of countries expands. - Colombia, Argentina and Brazil accounted for more than half of all placements in both reporting periods. - The rankings show that U.S. employers are following talent pools by role, not just by geography.

What happened: - Hire With Near released a combined view of its placement data showing where U.S. companies hired in Latin America during 2025 and the first half of 2026. - In the 2025 report period, Colombia led with 23% of placements, followed by Argentina at 21% and Brazil at 14%. - Mexico ranked fourth at 9%, and Honduras ranked fifth at 5%. - The top three countries totaled 58% of placements in 2025. - Colombia moved from third place to first in 2025, overtaking Argentina for the first time. - In the first half of 2026, Brazil moved into first place with 21% of placements. - Colombia followed with 19%, and Argentina came in at 14%. - Mexico ranked fourth at 12% in the 2026 midyear period. - El Salvador and Honduras each accounted for 5% of placements in the first half of 2026. - Costa Rica also accounted for 5%. - Peru, Guatemala, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic each accounted for 3%. - The top three countries made up 54% of placements in the first half of 2026.

The details: - The 2025 figures come from Hire With Near’s State of LatAm Hiring Report, which covers more than 2,000 placements across 20 countries between October 2024 and October 2025. - The first-half 2026 figures come from the firm’s placement records for January through June 2026. - Shares are based on the candidate’s country. - The data reflects hires made through Hire With Near, not the wider labor market. - Colombia and Argentina were most often hired for finance and accounting roles. - Brazil was most often hired for IT and engineering recruiting. - Mexico was most often hired for customer success and support. - Hire With Near said the country rankings shift as the mix of roles companies need changes. - The firm publishes the figures as shares of placements rather than as a fixed ranking of countries. - The full State of LatAm Hiring Report is available here. - The midyear hiring report is available here. - Country-by-country guides are available on the Hire With Near blog.

Between the lines: - The shift from Colombia to Brazil at No. 1 suggests U.S. hiring demand is broadening across Latin America rather than settling on one dominant market. - The role mix helps explain the country mix: accounting talent is strongest in some markets, while tech hiring is pulling more candidates from Brazil. - More countries appeared in the 2026 breakdown, which points to a wider search for remote talent. - CEO Hayden Cohen said companies usually start with the role they need, then find the country where that talent is strongest. - Cohen also said a CFO seeking a senior accountant may end up in Colombia or Argentina, while a marketing lead in 2026 is seeing more Brazilian candidates than a year earlier.

What's next: - Hire With Near will likely continue tracking placement shares as U.S. companies adjust hiring priorities across the region. - The company’s next updates should show whether Brazil keeps the top spot or whether Colombia and Argentina regain share. - The broader trend to watch is whether hiring continues spreading into smaller Latin American markets.

The bottom line: - U.S. hiring in Latin America is still concentrated in Colombia, Argentina and Brazil, but the lead country is changing as employers chase specific skill sets.