Cartagena, con la cuarta tasa de desempleo más alta entre 37 ciudades

Cartagena, con la cuarta tasa de desempleo más alta entre 37 ciudades In October 2025, Cartagena’s unemployment rate was 11.1%, a slight decrease from the previous year, though it remained the fourth highest in Colombia. A significant portion of employment in the city is informal, raising concerns about job quality. Nationally, unemployment fell to 8.2%, with job growth concentrated in sectors like agriculture and food services, while trade and construction experienced job losses.

• Cartagena’s unemployment rate in October 2025 was 11.1%, a decrease from 11.4% in October 2024.
• Cartagena ranked fourth in Colombia for unemployment, behind Quibdó, Sincelejo, and Riohacha.
• Concerns exist about the high percentage of informal employment contributing to the city’s occupation figures.
• Over the last 12 months, Cartagena’s unemployment rate was 10.2%, above the national average of 9.1%.
• In Cartagena, 52.9% of the 417,000 employed individuals were self-employed workers.
• The main sectors contributing to employment in Cartagena are Commerce and vehicle repair, Public administration and defense, and Transport and storage.
• Labor informality in Cartagena was 48.3% in October 2025, a slight increase.
• Youth unemployment in Cartagena fell to 21.0% in October 2025 from 21.7% a year prior.
• Nationally, 977,000 jobs were created between October 2024 and October 2025, with the national unemployment rate at 8.2%.
• The agricultural sector saw the largest job gains nationally, followed by accommodation and food services.
• Sectors experiencing job losses nationally included commerce and vehicle repair, artistic activities, and construction.
• Self-employment accounted for 66.7% of the total employment variation nationally, indicating a rise in informal work.