The active population in figures

Note: (e) Estimated data

Working conditions

Legal weekly duration

Working hours are limited to 48 hours per week spread over a maximum period of six days a week. With authorization granted by the Ministry of Social Welfare, an employee can work up to 12 hours of overtime per week. Employees in managerial positions are not subject to such restrictions.

Retirement age

The retirement age is 60 for men and 55 for women, or after a minimum of 1050 weeks of work.

Working contracts

All types of contracts stipulated by the Ministry of Social Protection are described here.

Cost of labor

Minimum wage

433,700 COP (187 USD)

Average wage

Average monthly gross earnings in Colombia is COP 675,211 (USD 310).

Social contributions

Social security contributions paid by employers: 27%.
Social security contributions paid by employees: 7.38%

Social partners

Social dialogue and involvement of social partners

In accordance with Colombian labor legislation, any group of 25 workers or more, regardless of whether they are employed by the same company or not, can form a union. Employees of companies with fewer than 25 employees can join other unions. There is not a strong culture of unionization in Colombia.

The main unions are the CUT (Unified Congress of Workers), the CTC (Congress of Workers of Colombia), UTC (Union of Workers of Colombia) and the CGT (General Congress of Workers). They are mostly comprised of public employees, especially from the country's petroleum industry and the education sector. The constitution protects the right to form unions and unionized workers have specific legal protection that prevent them from being fired because of their union activity. Strikes in the essential public service sectors, such as the central bank and other activities related to the public health system, are illegal.

About 10% of the country's formal labor is unionized.

Unions

Unified Congress of Workers of Colombia

Unionization rate

10% (of the formal sector)

Labor regulation bodies

Confederation of Employers
Ministry of Social Protection