An educated workforce is just one reason business people say they like doing business in Puerto Rico. The acclaim of Puerto Rico's university system helps Puerto Rico to enhance its workforce. The College of Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) at Mayagüez, for instance, is an often touted training ground that ranks 12th in undergraduate enrollment among universities in the United States and 15th in the number of undergraduate degrees awarded, according to the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Profiles of Engineering and Engineering Technology Colleges, 2001 Edition.

 Lower wage workers is also an attraction. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, adult workers with educational attainment over a bachelor's degree earned on average $35,600. And according to the 2005 Puerto Rico Community Survey, educational attainment in Puerto Rico continues to rise with more people obtaining high school, bachelors and masters degrees.

 If a highly educated, low-wage workforce gets the attention of business leaders, a menu of local tax, labor, and other incentives is intended to keep them interested. While Puerto Rico still tries to lobby Congress to renew federal income tax credits for U.S. businesses, the local government is flexing its fiscal autonomy to entice U.S. corporations in other ways. Labor incentives, for instance, could be worth between $3,000 to $5,000 per new job, depending on the type and quantity of positions.

Non-wage-related incentives can include a 7 percent maximum local income tax rate, a deduction of up to 200 percent for research and development expenses and job training costs, and exemptions from property taxes during construction and the first year of operation, followed by a 90 percent exemption for subsequent years. The types of incentives from the Puerto Rican government are available to any qualifying business in the world, with special preference for high-tech and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Puerto Rico Industrial Development Corporation (PRIDCO), a government agency, on occasion becomes an equity partner in opportunities that look promising for the island.

After the various incentives and discounts, manufacturing operations in Puerto Rico can ultimately cost less than operations on the mainland – up to 30 percent less according to some sources.

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Links to Doing Business in South Puerto Rico and Ponce Area 

• Brief History of Business in Puerto Rico
• Incentives for Doing Business in South Puerto Rico
• Two Keys for Attracting Puerto Rico Business Investors
  
• 7 Tips for Getting Risk Capital Funds for Your Puerto Rico Business
  
• Port of the Americas' Global Trade Connection for South Puerto Rico