Colombia’s agricultural sector employed 4.8 million people, recording the lowest unemployment rate in the past six years.

In the first month of 2025, the sector saw a nearly one-percentage-point decrease in unemployment compared to the same month of the previous year. In January alone, 267,000 new jobs were created in the sector.

The agricultural sector accounts for 14.1% of the country’s employed population. Agriculture, tourism, and industry are the main drivers of employment in Colombia.

Any labor reform in the 21st century should aim to modernize labor relations by incorporating diverse forms of work that promote flexibility, formalization, and security. The exponential pace of change, the technological revolution, and demographic factors require specific policies that facilitate worker retraining and swift access to the formal labor market.

Colombia must ratify ILO Convention 181 to establish a virtuous cycle of public-private collaboration between public and private employment services. Any reform that moves in the opposite direction will only lead to exclusion, low employability, rigidity, and a lack of competitiveness.

Photo of Jhonathan David Posso Guaitarilla in Unsplash