Colombia Unemployment at 10-Month Low

2025-10-31 16:21 By Isabela Couto 1 min. read

Colombia’s unemployment rate fell to 8.2% in September 2025, the lowest level since November 2024, down from 9.1% a year earlier and below market expectations of 8.5%.

Female unemployment stood at 9.6%, while male unemployment was 7.1%.

The number of unemployed declined by 204,000 to 2.13 million, while youth unemployment dropped 1.9 percentage points to 14.6%.

Total employment rose by 714,000 to 23.92 million, with manufacturing leading job creation, adding 244,000 workers.

The labor force participation rate increased to 63.9% from 63.5%, and the employment-to-population ratio rose to 58.7%, up from 57.7% a year earlier.



News Stream
Colombia Jobless Rate Falls in March
Colombia’s unemployment rate fell to 8.8% in March 2026, down from 9.2% in February. Job gains were driven mainly by public administration and defense, education and health services, financial and insurance activities, and utilities, including electricity, gas, water, and waste management. In the country’s 13 main cities and metropolitan areas, the unemployment rate stood at 9.4%, slightly higher than the 9.3% recorded in the same month of 2025.
2026-04-30
Colombia's Unemployment Falls to 9.2% in February
Colombia's unemployment rate fell to 9.2% in February 2026, down from 10.9% in January. Among women, unemployment stood at 9.0%, down 0.3 percentage points year-over-year. Among men, unemployment was 7.8%, up 0.1 percentage point. Over 12 months, total employed persons rose 1.0%, driven entirely by women up 2.4%, while men showed no change. By economic sector, growth was led by healthcare up 8.9%, professional activities up 14.8%, and accommodation and food services up 9.4%.
2026-03-31
Colombia’s Jobless Rate Rises in January
Colombia’s unemployment rate rose to 10.9% in January 2026, up from 8.0% in December, with a sharp gender gap of 8.7% for men and 13.8% for women, a 5.2 p.p. difference. This marks the highest jobless rate since January 2025. In the 13 major cities and metropolitan areas, unemployment stood at 10.6%. Public administration, defense, education, and health services drove job growth, adding 172,000 employed individuals in January.
2026-02-27