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The National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) reported that in May 2024 unemployment in Colombia was 10.3%, which translates into a reduction of 0.2 percentage points compared to the same month last year.
In the 13 major cities and metropolitan areas, the figure was also 10.3% (a decrease of 0.9 percentage points), while in rural centers it was 7.3%, an increase of 0.5 percentage points.
Although the reduction was minimal, it must be taken into account that since November of last year Colombia has not recorded a single-digit unemployment figure, while the graph indicates that the behavior of this element in the labor market seems to have reached a new plateau.
Read also: Unemployment in Colombia was 10.3% in May
The cities with the most unemployment in Colombia
During the most recent quarter of the year (March – May), the city with the highest unemployment rates was Quibdó, with 28.6%, followed by Riohacha (19.5%), Florencia (16.4%), Ibagué (14.7%) and Cúcuta (13.7%).
The cities with the least unemployment in Colombia
In contrast, the cities with a lower unemployment rate were Bucaramanga (8.8%), Santa Marta (9.3%), Medellín (9.4%), Pereira (9.6%), Villavicencio (9. 7%) and Bogotá (9.9%).
There are 2.64 million unemployed in Colombia, which represents an increase of 6,000 compared to May of last year.
The working-age population is counted at 40 million people, those in employment are 23 million (463,000 more) and the non-working population is 14.3 million (107,000 more). The latter are people who, being of working age, are not employed in the labour market for reasons of study, performing unpaid care activities, because they receive an income, are disabled or are not interested in working.
In May, the gender gap continued in the country, as the unemployment rate for men was 9%, while for women it was 12.1%, the difference is 3.1 percentage points. However, it stands out that in the 13 cities and metropolitan areas the current gap is less than one point (0.8 percentage points), since unemployment in men is 10% and that of women is 10.7%. .
