The deep crises and the different recovery trajectories of the regions have renewed interest in the study of regional economic resilience However, recent studies, including both theoretical and empirical, have paid little attention to the phenomenon in underdeveloped economies, including Latin America. This research conducts an empirical exploration of the concept, from an engineering approach, quantifying the response of the Chilean economy regions to shocks (Asian and financial crisis), through different measures of resistance and recovery, with individualized monitoring of the declines in employment in each region. Additionally, we study the role of national, sectoral and regional competitive effects. Resilience and recovery measures show wide differences and persistent vulnerability in two regions of southern Chile. Likewise, the competitive effects of each region, seconded by the national effects, are preponderant in regional economic resilience.