Dane reported the national unemployment rate stood at 8.8% in April 2026, unchanged from the prior year. The number of unemployed rose by 67,000 people.
The National Administrative Department of Statistics released labor market data for the February-April 2026 moving quarter. The unemployment rate held at 8.8%, matching April 2025, though the number of unemployed rose from 2.27 million to 2.33 million.
Among cities, Neiva recorded one of the lowest rates at 8.1%. Quibdó had the highest at 25.1%, followed by Cartagena at 13.1% and Riohacha at 12.8%. Villavicencio posted the lowest rate at 7.5%.
The employed population grew by 701,000 nationally. Sectors with the largest increases were public administration, education and health with 234,000 additional employed, and construction with 153,000. Commerce and vehicle repair saw a drop of 85,000 positions.
The global participation rate rose to 64.7%. The youth unemployment rate for ages 15 to 28 stood at 16.2% nationally and 13.8% in Neiva.
