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Colombia’s national unemployment rate in July 2025 stood at 8.8%, down from 9.9% a year earlier and the lowest for a July in the past 24 years. Employment remained at high levels, driven by wage jobs in private companies. The sectors that generated the most jobs were Accommodation and Food Services, and Transportation.

The national unemployment rate for May 2025 was 9.0%, lower than 10.3% a year ago and the lowest for a May in the last 24 years. Seasonally adjusted, the rate showed a decreasing trend between June 2024 and April 2025 and was around 9% in the March-May 2025 period.

The national unemployment rate for March 2025 was 9.6% and the seasonally adjusted rate was 9.1% marking the third consecutive monthly decrease and placing it more than one percentage point below its 2024 average. This positive performance in the unemployment rate is mainly attributed to the strong dynamics of employment.

Poverty was reduced in Colombia last year. In 2023, 338 thousand people were lifted out of multidimensional poverty, bringing poverty from 12.9% of the population in 2022 to 12.1% in 2023. And it was reduced mainly in the countryside. Informality and low years of education weigh heavily on poverty in Colombia.

The generation of low-paid jobs characterizes the recovery of the labor market. Despite the high inflation levels, real wages and the wage bill maintain positive growth. We expect formal employment to continue posting favorable year-on-year growth rates but with a more moderate increase.

2021 is shaping up to be historic in formal job creation, but risks persist. Forward data of September would point to a job creation unprecedented in the last 24 years.