Colombia’s Agricultural Employment Increased by 147,685 People in December 2024

The labor market in the rural sector and agriculture, livestock, hunting, forestry, and fishing activities showed a recovery during December 2024; the unemployment rate in the rural sector remained stable at 7%, while the employed population increased by 146,685 people, representing an increase of 3.1% compared to December 2023 and reaching a total of 4.9 million workers.

Highlights of the sector in December 2024

•  The employment rate in the rural sector was 57.7%; which represents an increase of 1.2 percentage points compared to the previous year.
•  The overall participation rate increased by 1.3 percentage points to 62.1%.
•  In the October-December 2024, the employed population in the rural sector increased by 62,172 people (+1.3%).

Similarly, in parallel with the employment growth, the agriculture, livestock, hunting, forestry, and fishing sectors registered an increase of 36,645 people employed in December 2024 compared to the same month in 2023; an increase of 1.2%. However, in the October-December quarter, the sector registered a decrease of 99,418 employed people (-3.9%).

Dora Inés Rey Martínez, acting director of the Rural Agricultural Planning Unit (UPRA), highlighted the importance of this growth and the commitment to strengthen working conditions in the Colombian countryside: “The rural sector is the essential engine of the country’s development. These results show their resilience and potential; however, the challenge of informality reminds us that we must continue working to guarantee better conditions that allow us to continue working for the food security of Colombians and the sustainable growth of the countryside.”

At the national level, during 2024 the country registered a national unemployment rate of 10.2%, a figure similar to that presented in 2023: 10.2%. At the same time, the country’s employed population was 23 million and increased by 247,649 people (+1.1%) compared to 2023. For its part, the agriculture, livestock, hunting, forestry, and fishing sectors employed 3.3 million people in the country; an increase of 3,007 employed people (+0.1%) compared to 2023.

 Photo credit: Rural Agricultural Planning Unit (UPRA) of Colombia.