Colombian Agricultural Sector Generated 244,000 Jobs in January

During January 2024, the labor landscape in the rural sector and in activities related to agriculture, livestock, hunting, forestry, and fishing presented a significant increase in employment, according to data published earlier this month by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) and analyzed by the governmental Rural Agricultural Planning Unit (UPRA).

In the first month of 2024, the national unemployment rate was 12.7%, one percentage point lower than the rate reported in January 2023 (13.7%). The country’s employed population reached 22 million people, an increase of 533,000 people (2.5%) compared to the same month of the previous year.

In the specific case of the rural sector, in January 2024, in agriculture, livestock, hunting, forestry and fishing, 3.2 million people were employed.

“This represents an increase of 244,000 people (8.3%), compared to January 2023,” said Claudia Cortés, director of the UPRA. “This figure reflects a notable growth in employment, consolidating this activity as the second that generates the most employment at the national level, with a participation of 14.5%.”

“This increase in rural employment,” she added, “reflects the dynamism and resilience of our agricultural sector. It’s an encouraging sign that we’re making progress in generating job opportunities in rural areas of the country.”

In population centers and dispersed rural areas, the unemployment rate stood at 9.5%, showing a decrease of 0.2 percentage points, compared to the same period of the previous year. The number of employed people in the rural sector was 4.5 million people, 47,000 people lower than the employed population in January 2023, representing a decrease of 1%.

In terms of informality, in the October-December 2023 rolling quarter, the proportion of informal workers, at the national level, in agriculture, livestock, hunting, forestry and fishing was 85.4%, making it the economic activity with the highest proportion of informal workers in the country.

This data reflect the dynamism and importance of the rural sector in the Colombian economic context, as well as the relevance of continuing to implement policies and programs that promote its sustainable development, and that contribute to improving the working conditions of its inhabitants.

(Photo credit: afelipeug / Pixabay)