The Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE) reported that Colombia's unemployment rate fell to 8.8% in March 2026—the lowest for any March since 2001, continuing the downward trend from 10.9% in January and 9.2% in February—with 2.34 million people unemployed (down 174,000). This marks a 0.8 percentage point drop from 9.6% in March 2025. The employed population grew by 650,000 (2.7%), while the January-March quarter rate stood at 9.6%. Neiva ranked among cities with the lowest unemployment.
DANE reported on May 1, 2026, the national unemployment rate for March at 8.8%, affecting 2.34 million people out of a labor force of 24.35 million. "It is the lowest rate for a March since comparisons have been possible since 2001," said Piedad Urdinola, DANE director.
The participation rate rose to 65.0% and the occupation rate to 59.3%, up from 64.7% and 58.5% in March 2025. For the January-March 2026 quarter, unemployment was 9.6%, down 0.9 points from 10.5% in 2025.
The employed population increased by 650,000 people (2.7%). Key growth sectors included public administration, defense, education, and human health (+369,000), and financial and insurance activities (+239,000). Declines were seen in agriculture, livestock, hunting, forestry, and fishing (-242,000) and manufacturing (-166,000). Growth was driven by own-account workers and private employees.
For the quarter, Neiva recorded 9.1%, ranking among the lowest alongside Bogotá (8.8%), Manizales (8.5%), Bucaramanga (8.4%), and Villavicencio (8.0%). Highest rates were in Quibdó (26.0%), Riohacha (14.7%), and Cartagena (13.8%).
Informality fell to 55.6%, though self-employment rose to 10.3 million. Bruce Mac Master, president of Andi, questioned this: "We do not understand how the informality rate decreases in March, while a segment characterized by its high labor informality grows, like self-employment." Economist Germán Machado of Universidad de los Andes warned of stagnation signals in cities like Cartagena and Medellín.
