For decades, the idea of leaving Colombia was mainly associated with violence, economic collapse, or a complete lack of basic opportunities. But the migration phenomenon, now gaining momentum in the country, appears to have a far more complex and nuanced background. It is no longer only about people seeking survival elsewhere. Increasingly, skilled workers, experienced professionals, and economically active citizens feel that building a stable, long-term future in Colombia has become increasingly uncertain.
The discussion regained national attention after the newspaper El Colombiano reported the results of a survey conducted by Buk, a human resources and workforce management technology company, in which 69% of workers surveyed said they had either considered or were actively planning to migrate abroad due to a lack of job opportunities, economic deterioration, and stagnant wages.
Beyond the impact of the percentage itself, Buk’s findings reveal something deeper: A growing loss of confidence in Colombia’s ability to provide stability, professional growth, and long-term economic security.
According to the company, workers increasingly perceive an environment shaped by uncertainty regarding employment, the economy, and quality of life in the years ahead, particularly amid political tensions and ongoing debates over structural reforms.
Buk argues that workers’ perceptions are closely tied to Colombia’s broader economic and social climate. According to the survey, many respondents no longer feel confident about the country’s labor outlook or about their ability to improve their financial conditions in the short term.
The company describes the phenomenon as a “silent talent drain,” in which thousands of workers are beginning to view migration as a pathway toward better living conditions, financial stability, and stronger social protections.
The survey also suggests that migration is no longer driven solely by aspirations for adventure, international experience, or career development abroad. In many cases, the desire to leave stems from emotional exhaustion tied to everyday economic realities.
For a growing number of Colombian workers, the problem is no longer simply finding a job, but finding one that offers stability, savings potential, and peace of mind.
Workers in Colombia struggle to inspire confidence
One of the most revealing aspects of Buk’s study is how normalized pessimism has become among large sectors of Colombia’s workforce. The survey found that 55% of respondents doubt the next government’s ability to improve employment conditions and strengthen security. In comparison, 52% believe finding a job will remain just as difficult over the next 12 months.
The figures reflect a broader deterioration in perceptions surrounding economic mobility. Although Colombia has shown signs of macroeconomic recovery following the most difficult years after the pandemic, many workers feel those improvements are not translating into tangible changes in their daily lives.
Economic growth, from their perspective, has not necessarily led to higher wages, more stable contracts, or relief from rising living costs.
Buk explains that labor expectations today are deeply shaped by uncertainty. According to the company, workers are no longer evaluating only how much they earn, but whether their future inside the country feels sustainable and predictable. That perception directly influences decisions about career continuity, emotional stability, and even migration.
Salary expectations appear to be one of the most sensitive issues revealed in the study. According to the survey, 72% of workers believe their income will remain stagnant during the first year of the next administration, while only 18% expect meaningful wage increases in the near future.
The concern becomes even more significant in a country where the cost of living continues to place growing pressure on households. Rising rents, food prices, transportation costs, healthcare expenses, and utilities have reduced purchasing power even among workers with formal employment and relative job stability.
For Buk, the problem extends far beyond unemployment itself. The study suggests that many Colombians increasingly fear working continuously without ever achieving financial well-being. In other words, workers feel that effort no longer guarantees progress.
Although official labor data show unemployment rates gradually declining from pandemic-era highs, uncertainty among workers remains widespread. Recent figures from Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) indicate that the national unemployment rate stood around 8.8%, one of the lowest levels recorded in recent years.
Yet beneath those numbers, deeper structural issues such as informality, unstable contracts, and limited access to quality employment persist.
That disconnect between official economic indicators and workers’ lived experiences helps explain why migration is becoming increasingly attractive even among people who are currently employed. The debate is no longer simply about finding work, but about finding working conditions that allow people to build sustainable futures.
Young Colombians increasingly question whether opportunity exists at home
One of the most striking findings in Buk’s survey is the generational shift surrounding migration intentions. Contrary to the widespread assumption that younger people are most eager to leave Colombia, the study found that Generation X — workers between 45 and 60 years old — currently represents the group with the strongest active migration plans.
According to Buk, 26% of respondents within that age group are already actively planning to relocate abroad. Their primary concerns revolve around economic stability, health care access, and uncertainty surrounding retirement and pension systems. The finding reflects a major transformation in how many workers view the future.
For previous generations, reaching middle age was often associated with professional consolidation and financial stability. Today, many experienced workers feel the opposite: Uncertainty about aging within an increasingly unstable labor environment.
Buk notes that priorities evolve depending on life stage and that concerns about social protection are becoming increasingly prominent among older workers. National debates surrounding pension reform and fiscal sustainability appear to be directly influencing those perceptions.
Meanwhile, Generation Z emerged as the most undecided demographic regarding migration. According to the survey, 40% of workers under 28 have not yet decided whether they plan to remain in Colombia or seek opportunities abroad. For many younger respondents, access to a first formal job remains the primary concern.
About 39% said the next government’s main priority should be creating more employment opportunities for young people entering the workforce.
Although official figures show a gradual decline in unemployment compared to the years immediately following the pandemic, many young Colombians still feel that accessing stable and well-paying jobs remains extremely difficult. That disconnect between macroeconomic indicators and the daily reality experienced by workers is emerging as one of the main factors fueling migration intentions.
Recent data from Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) show that the national unemployment rate stood around 8.8%, one of the lowest levels recorded for that period in recent years. However, beneath that apparent improvement remain major structural problems such as informality, precarious contracts, and deep generational inequalities within the labor market.
The situation is especially difficult for younger workers. Recent economic analyses warn that youth unemployment in Colombia continues to remain significantly higher than the national average. A recent report published by El Pais found that unemployment among people between the ages of 15 and 28 currently stands at 16.5%, nearly double the country’s general unemployment rate.
That reality helps explain why much of Generation Z now appears trapped between uncertainty and the possibility of migration. Many young Colombians are not only struggling to find jobs but also to secure formal employment stable enough to support financial independence, home ownership, savings, or long-term professional growth.
Buk’s survey reflects precisely that frustration. The study found that access to a first job is currently the main labor concern among workers under 28, while many remain undecided about whether they should stay in Colombia or seek opportunities elsewhere.
Even when young Colombians manage to find employment, many feel labor conditions remain insufficient. Temporary contracts, freelance service arrangements, lack of stability, and wages that fail to keep pace with the cost of living continue to generate growing frustration. The challenge is no longer simply finding work, but finding work that allows people to build a future.
Labor experts cited in several recent economic analyses have also warned that much of the employment generated in Colombia continues to concentrate in informal or low-productivity sectors.
That means that even if employment figures improve statistically, many workers still face precarious conditions, limited incomes, and few real opportunities for upward mobility.
As a result, migration increasingly appears to many young Colombians not only as a professional aspiration, but as a strategy to escape what they perceive as an unstable, highly competitive, and increasingly insufficient labor market.
Buk argues that younger generations increasingly prioritize work-life balance, emotional stability, and professional projection — elements they often perceive as difficult to achieve within labor environments marked by informality, temporary contracts, and low wages.
Economic anxiety changes across generations and genders
Buk’s study also highlights how economic concerns vary depending on age and gender. While pessimism cuts across nearly all demographics, priorities shift according to workers’ personal experiences and stages of life.
Among millennials (people born between 1981 and 1997), the primary concern centers on labor formalization. About 45% believe reducing dependence on freelance service contracts and improving contractual stability should become a national priority. That issue touches one of the deepest structural problems within Colombia’s labor market: the normalization of unstable work arrangements.
Thousands of workers operate under temporary or independent contracts that often fail to guarantee benefits such as vacation pay, severance protections, or adequate social security coverage. While companies may view these models as flexible, many workers experience them as permanent uncertainty.
The survey also revealed significant differences between male and female workers regarding economic expectations. Only 13.1% of women surveyed believe their income will improve during the first year of the next administration. Among men, the figure rises to 24.5%. The gap reflects longstanding structural inequalities within Colombia’s labor market.
Female workers continue to face wage disparities, higher levels of informality, and disproportionate caregiving responsibilities that directly affect their perceptions of financial security and professional advancement. Buk suggests that economic expectations are closely tied to perceptions of workplace security. When people feel uncertain about the economy, confidence in the future deteriorates rapidly, especially among historically vulnerable groups within the labor market.
The survey also identified important regional differences across Colombia. While Cundinamarca appeared among the most optimistic regions regarding economic and labor prospects, other areas reflected far more divided and pessimistic views about the country’s direction.
According to Buk, those regional contrasts demonstrate how employment opportunities remain heavily dependent on geography, local investment, and regional economic dynamics. Not all Colombian workers experience the same labor conditions or perceive the future in the same way.
Political uncertainty is reshaping workplaces
Buk’s findings also reveal how Colombia’s political climate is increasingly influencing workplace dynamics and corporate environments. According to the survey, 41% of workers openly discuss politics in their workplaces. However, 39% said they prefer avoiding political conversations altogether to prevent tension or conflict with coworkers and supervisors.
Buk interprets this behavior as evidence that politics is no longer viewed as separate from professional life. Economic decisions and government proposals are now directly shaping workers’ expectations surrounding stability and financial security.
The survey also found that 72% of respondents believe companies should create neutral educational spaces to help workers better understand the real impact of economic and labor policies currently being debated across the country.
For Buk, organizations now play an increasingly important role in fostering emotional stability and trust during periods marked by economic uncertainty and political polarization. And perhaps that is one of the study’s most important conclusions: the issue reflected in the survey is not only economic, but also emotional and social.
Behind the 69% of workers considering leaving Colombia are millions of people experiencing fear about the country’s economic future, doubts about institutional stability, and exhaustion with a labor market that often appears to demand more than it gives back.
Some young people feel that entering the formal workforce remains overwhelmingly difficult. Adults who fear reaching old age without sufficient guarantees. Women who perceive greater economic vulnerability. Professionals who feel that work no longer guarantees upward mobility. And above all, there is a growing sense that Colombia still has not managed to provide enough certainty for people trying to build their future at home.