Colombia’s unemployment rate rose to 9.4% in August 2026 from 8.1% in July. In the 13 cities and metropolitan areas, the unemployment rate increased to 9.1% from 8.5%. The rate stood at 11.6% among women and 7.7% among men. For the June-August 2026 moving quarter, the highest unemployment rates among the 23 cities and metropolitan areas were recorded in Quibdó (23.8%), Cartagena (14.4%), and Sincelejo (12.9%). The lowest rates were reported in Bucaramanga (7.3%), Medellín (7.5%), and Bogotá (7.9%). source: Dane, Colombia

Unemployment Rate in Colombia increased to 9.40 percent in August from 8.10 percent in July of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Colombia averaged 11.45 percent from 2001 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 21.01 percent in May of 2020 and a record low of 7.00 percent in November of 2025. This page provides the latest reported value for - Colombia Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Colombia Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on October of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Colombia increased to 9.40 percent in August from 8.10 percent in July of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Colombia is expected to be 8.00 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Colombia Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 8.40 percent in 2027 and 8.50 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-08-31 03:00 PM
Unemployment Rate
Jul 8.1% 8% 8.1%
2026-09-30 03:00 PM
Unemployment Rate
Aug 9.4% 8.1% 8.1%
2026-10-30 03:00 PM
Unemployment Rate
Sep 9.4% 8.0%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employment Rate 57.36 59.52 percent Aug 2026
Labor Force Participation Rate 63.30 64.80 percent Aug 2026
Unemployed Persons 2446.94 2164.88 Thousand Aug 2026
Unemployment Rate 9.40 8.10 percent Aug 2026


Colombia Unemployment Rate
In Colombia, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
9.40 8.10 21.01 7.00 2001 - 2026 percent Monthly

News Stream
Colombia Unemployment Rate Rises in August
Colombia’s unemployment rate rose to 9.4% in August 2026 from 8.1% in July. In the 13 cities and metropolitan areas, the unemployment rate increased to 9.1% from 8.5%. The rate stood at 11.6% among women and 7.7% among men. For the June-August 2026 moving quarter, the highest unemployment rates among the 23 cities and metropolitan areas were recorded in Quibdó (23.8%), Cartagena (14.4%), and Sincelejo (12.9%). The lowest rates were reported in Bucaramanga (7.3%), Medellín (7.5%), and Bogotá (7.9%).
2026-09-30
Colombia Jobless Rate Rises Slightly in July
Colombia’s unemployment rate edged up to 8.1% in July 2026 from 8.0% in June. In the 13 cities and metropolitan areas, the rate stood at 8.5%. The unemployment rate was 10.1% among women and 6.7% among men, resulting in a gender gap of 3.4 percentage points. The highest unemployment rates were recorded in Quibdó (23.0%), Cartagena (13.6%), and Sincelejo (13.0%), while the lowest were reported in Medellín (7.0%), Bucaramanga A.M. (7.2%), and Pereira A.M. (7.5%). Meanwhile, the number of unemployed people nationwide fell by 160,000 year-on-year, representing a 6.9% decline.
2026-08-31
Colombia Unemployment Rate Holds at 8%
Colombia's unemployment rate held steady at 8% in June 2026, unchanged from the previous month and slightly below market expectations of 8.1%. The unemployment rate stood at 9.9% for women and 6.6% for men, resulting in a gender gap of 3.3 percentage points. Across the country's 13 major metropolitan areas, the unemployment rate was 8.3%. The highest jobless rates were recorded in Quibdó (23.3%), Cartagena (13.2%), and Ibagué (12.8%), while Medellín Metropolitan Area (7.1%), Pereira Metropolitan Area (7.2%), and Villavicencio (7.9%) posted the lowest rates. The national employment rate stood at 59.4%. In the April-June 2026 period, the average unemployment rate was 8.3%.
2026-07-31