The unemployment rate in Colombia remained at 8.8% in April, the same figure as in March and the same month of the previous year, according to data released this Friday by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE).
The sectors that generated the most employment were Public Administration, defense, education, and health, with 234,000 new positions, followed by construction, with 153,000, and artistic and leisure activities, which added 148,000 jobs. Conversely, trade and vehicle repair cut 85,000 jobs.
Regarding unemployment by sex, the male unemployment rate stood at 7.1%, while the female unemployment rate reached 10.9%, implying a gender gap of 3.8 percentage points.
The employment rate (ER) advanced one point, going from 58.1% in April 2025 to 59.1% in 2026. In parallel, the total participation rate (TPR) also increased by one point, to 64.7%, and the proportion of informal workers decreased by eight tenths, to 54.2%. Youth unemployment stood at 16.2%.
By cities, the highest unemployment levels were recorded in Quibdó, with 25.1%, Cartagena, with 13.1%, and Riohacha, with 12.8%, all with statistically significant variations. On the opposite side, the lowest rates were observed in Villavicencio (7.5%), Pereira (7.6%), and Bucaramanga (7.9%).