The city of Cali recorded an unemployment rate of 8.5% in the August-October 2025 quarter, the lowest in 19 years for this period. This marks nine consecutive quarters of unemployment reduction, with 40,700 new net jobs created compared to the previous year.
According to the report from the Centro de Inteligencia Económica y Competitividad (CIEC) of the Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico, based on DANE data, Cali is consolidating its economic recovery with significant labor market advances. The 8.5% unemployment rate is 4.4 percentage points below the pre-pandemic average of 12.9%, reflecting structural progress beyond post-pandemic reactivation.
The occupancy rate rose to 59.2%, an increase of 1.4 percentage points, while the global labor participation rate reached 64.7%, up 0.5 points. Underemployment fell to 6.6%, benefiting 22,800 fewer people in precarious conditions. Informality remained at 46.3%, below the national average, indicating containment of vulnerable jobs.
Youth unemployment rose slightly to 17.4%, but remains below pre-pandemic levels, prioritizing inclusion strategies for this group. Sectoral dynamism drove growth: public administration, education, and health added 18,000 jobs; construction, 14,500; transport and storage, 9,800; artistic activities and services, 9,400; and accommodation and food, 8,600.
Additionally, there were 25,100 new independent workers, 17,900 additional private employees, and 2,600 new employers, showing greater entrepreneurship. Vulnerable occupations declined, such as domestic employees (-7,600) and unpaid family workers (-2,500), evidencing a shift toward more stable jobs.
The Cali Mayor's Office promotes policies to strengthen productive inclusion and decent employment, confirming solid progress in the local economy.