Research
Academic research on the Colombian labor market, covering labor reform, the minimum wage, formalization, social security, and much more.
Un aumento de ingresos laborales demasiado grande
En el primer trimestre de 2026, los ingresos laborales reales promedio crecieron un sobresaliente 16% anual. También se encuentran incrementos importantes para empleados privados, independientes, todo tamaño de empresas y diversos sectores económicos, aun cuando la economía creció un modesto 2,2%. La nueva administración debe revisar los posibles errores de medición en las estadísticas del mercado laboral colombiano.
¿Pueden el DANE y PILA contar dos historias distintas sobre el mismo mercado laboral?
Toward a Fairer and More Efficient Labor Market in Córdoba
A study of the labor market of the department of Córdoba and its capital, Montería, between 2018 and 2024. It combines processing of Colombia's **Gran Encuesta Integrada de Hogares (GEIH–DANE)** with **17 semi-structured interviews** with urban and rural workers, business owners, trade associations, academia and public officials. Conventional indicators —contained unemployment, growing employment— conceal a market that fails systematically: over **80 % of the labor force does not contribute to the pension system**, **75 % of those employed earn less than the minimum wage**, and **64 % of productive units** are self-employed workers with no employees. The study proposes the category of **Dynamic Subsistence** to explain informality not as cultural passivity but as a rational adaptive strategy in the face of an *Unaffordable Formality Paradox*. It also introduces an **Empathy Gap Indicator**, which measures the emotional distance between actors and documents a dissonance of expectations between Government (2.6), Academia (2.9), and Trade Associations and Workers (both 3.7). It closes with nine axes of public policy recommendations.
Proposals for a Labor Legislative Agenda
A set of technical proposals for the labor legislative agenda in Colombia, addressing necessary reforms in labor law and social security.
Who Makes Up the Labor Force in Colombia?
Detailed characterization of the Colombian labor force: demographic, sectoral, formal, and informal composition, with DANE data.
Simplified Employment Contracting Regime: A Proposal for Labor Formalization and Social Security
Technical proposal to create a simplified employment contracting regime that facilitates the formalization of employment and access to social security.
Evolution and Characterization of the Labor Market in Colombia: A Comparison Between the Public, Private, and Self-Employment Sectors, 2020-2024
A comparative study of the evolution of the Colombian labor market between 2020 and 2024 across the public, private, and self-employment sectors, with a focus on regulatory compliance.
Is the Minimum-Wage Bargaining Commission Useful in Colombia?
An analysis of the effectiveness of the Permanent Commission for the Coordination of Wage and Labor Policies in Colombia, its historical role, and reform proposals.
Key Elements for a Responsible Setting of the Minimum Wage
An analytical framework of the technical, economic, and social criteria that should be considered for a responsible and sustainable setting of the minimum wage in Colombia.
Bill: Age for Terminating Employment Contracts
Technical analysis of the bill regulating the termination of employment contracts on the grounds of workers' age.
Ten Years of the Colombian Labor Market 2013-2023
Decade-long analysis of the Colombian labor market: trends in employment, unemployment, informality, wages, and sectoral composition between 2013 and 2023.
Challenges of Work in the Digital Age
Reflections on the legal and social challenges of work in the fourth industrial revolution: digital platforms, remote work, artificial intelligence, and labor law.