Employment Recovers in Colombia, but 2 out of 5 Jobs are Self-Employed and 25.8% are Exposed to AI

Colombia continues to show signs of employment recovery, but the country faces structural lags that cast doubt on the quality of this improvement...

Employment Recovers in Colombia, but 2 out of 5 Jobs are Self-Employed and 25.8% are Exposed to AI

TL;DR

  • Colombia's unemployment rate dropped by 2.3 percentage points in 2025, and occupation increased by 2 points.
  • Two out of five workers are self-employed, indicating precarious labor conditions and limited social protection.
  • 25.8% of employed individuals are highly exposed to artificial intelligence and automation processes.
  • Significant gender gaps persist in access to job opportunities.
  • The proportion of young people who neither study nor work has decreased by 2.6 percentage points.
  • An estimated 39% of skills required in the labor market will change before 2030.
  • Colombia needs policies focused on formalization, relevant education, and labor retraining.