Colombia's National Administrative Department of Statistics (Dane) reported an unemployment rate of 8.2% for October 2025, the lowest since 2017. This figure translates to 2.1 million people unemployed, with 24.3 million employed. It marks a 0.9 percentage point decline from October 2024.
Andrea Ramírez Pisco, deputy director of Dane, noted that this rate "is the lowest we have recorded in the series since 2017, with a similar value in October 2014, and from then on it is the lowest value for an October." Compared to previous months, the downward trend in unemployment has persisted throughout 2025, with figures lower than those reported since 2018.
The employed population reached 24.3 million, with an occupancy rate of 59.7%, up 4.2% from 23.3 million in October 2024. By gender, 14.25 million men and 10.1 million women were employed, with increases of 3.8% and 4.7% respectively over the past year.
However, labor informality rose to 56.1%, affecting 13.6 million people, an increase from 55.3% and 12.9 million the previous year. Bruce Mac Master, president of Andi, cautioned: "While a lower unemployment rate is a good indicator, it is concerning that a high percentage of the increased employment is informal, as it is configuring a deterioration in job quality."
In the August-October quarter, cities like Quibdó (23.9%), Sincelejo (12.3%), and Riohacha (12.2%) had the highest unemployment rates. The main economic sectors included commerce and vehicle repair (16.6%), agriculture (15.2%), and public administration, education, and health (11.9%). Colombia ranks fourth in unemployment rate among OECD countries.