Thousands of migrants in Colombia, particularly Venezuelans fleeing economic collapse in their home country, face unstable and exploitative working conditions as they try to build their lives. Despite legal frameworks intended to support integration, many remain trapped in the informal economy, vulnerable to abuse, underpayment and job insecurity.
According to labor rights organizations and humanitarian agencies, a significant percentage of migrants in Colombia work in informal jobs without contracts, health benefits, or legal protections. These roles are often in domestic work, agriculture, construction, street vending, or low-wage service positions-sectors where labor regulation is weak or inconsistently enforced.
The situation is particularly dire for undocumented migrants, who often avoid reporting labor abuses out of fear of deportation or retaliation. Even those with temporary protected status of work permits report challenges in securing stable, formal employment. Unfortunately, this has been a persistent issue within Colombia’s labor framework.
Migrants face higher unemployment rates than national average in Colombia
According to official government data, migrants—primarily from Venezuela—make up approximately 4% of Colombia’s total unemployed population. That translates to about 109,000 individuals currently out of work.
While Colombia’s overall unemployment rate dropped to 9.6% in March, marking the third consecutive month of decline, the picture is less optimistic for migrants. Among the migrant population, the unemployment rate stands at 10.0%, a figure 0.4 percentage points higher than the national average.
The slight but significant gap underscores the ongoing challenges migrants face in accessing stable and formal employment, despite broader improvements in the Colombian labor market. Experts suggest that legal barriers, discrimination, and limited access to professional networks or job training continue to hinder economic integration for migrants across the country.
Despite recent gains in employment, analysts are raising concerns about a surge in informal work across Colombia. According to the National Association of Financial Institutions (ANIF), more than 70% of the jobs created in the first quarter of 2025 came from the informal sector, contributing 3.06 percentage points to the total employment growth of 4.3%.
In March 2025 alone, official data revealed that informal employment accounted for 4.2 percentage points of the 4.7% increase in total employment. “These results indicate that although employment is rising in Colombia, the quality of those jobs is not improving,” ANIF stated in its latest quarterly labor market report.
These findings suggest that Colombia’s labor recovery remains fragile, with most new opportunities emerging in sectors lacking social protections, contracts, or basic labor benefits. For migrants—already disproportionately represented in informal work—this trend further complicates efforts to achieve economic stability and social integration.
A call for deeper analysis of migrant labor and its role in Colombia’s economic growth
In its report, ANIF emphasized the need for a more thorough analysis of the migrant labor supply, arguing that a deeper understanding is essential for shaping effective public policy around human capital development and boosting Colombia’s productive capacity.
“It is well understood that stronger economic activity tends to generate more employment. By increasing incomes, it helps reduce poverty because it enables workers to access quality goods and services,” the organization noted. In this sense, ANIF suggests that job creation is vital but must also be inclusive and formalized.
This comes amid growing recognition that Colombia’s migrant population plays a fundamental role in the country’s labor force. Successfully integrating migrants into the formal economy will be crucial to ensuring equitable and sustainable economic development in Colombia.
Policymakers and economists alike stress that harnessing the potential of migrant workers—not only as laborers but also as contributors to human capital—can strengthen Colombia’s productivity and long-term growth. Without this goal in mind, the country risks a rise in inequality and the loss of a key opportunity to leverage migrant labor as a driver of inclusive economic growth and social cohesion.
Outlook for 2025-2026: Modest improvements, but no structural shifts
According to ANIF, the labor market outlook for the remainder of 2025 and into 2026 is not bleak, but it also does not indicate any immediate structural improvements. The organization projects that Colombia’s unemployment rate will hover around 9.7% throughout both years.
This slight improvement is expected to be driven by moderate economic growth. However, ANIF cautions that the progress may be limited in scope and unlikely to be broadly inclusive. Without deeper reforms, vulnerable groups—such as migrants and informal workers—may continue to face barriers to stable employment and economic mobility.