Colombia’s Unemployment
Shannon Vauthier
AIU Online

Abstract
As a member of the World Bank, it is important to know how the different aspects of the global economy are functioning. The different aspects are quantities of specific goods and services, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), unemployment, and inflation. The area the World Bank is focused on is South America. This report will concentrate on unemployment in Colombia.

Colombia’s Unemployment The economy for every country is very similar but also very different. Colombia was once a pert of Gran Colombia until 1830 when there was a collapse and Gran Colombia was split into three countries: Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Colombia is a country in South America that sparked an interest during the research I have been conducting for the World Bank. The unemployment in Colombia through out the years has fluctuated tremendously because of the economy. Unemployment is a serious problem every country faces. First understanding the meaning of unemployment will help understand the information in the report I am writing. An individual is specified, as unemployed if the individual has not been working, however has been looking for a job in the last month. There are many different areas that can affect the level of the output of the economy. These areas include; demographic modifications, wage standards, education and experience achievements, patterns of migration, the costs of capital and labor, and the distribution of the labor market. These aspects are what change the nature of employment all over the world.
Unemployment increasing causes the Colombia economic situation hard to handle in the early 1980s. There was a boom of the economy in 1970s, therefore, the government did not see there being any problems in the 1980s with unemployment. However, according to the Library of Congress, “the Colombia unemployment rate rose steadily from 8.4 percent in 1981 to 14.9 percent by June 1986. The trend was finally reversed in 1987, as all sectors of the economy began to expand following the 1986 Coffee Boom. Unemployment fell 12 percent in 1987, the lowest level since 1982, and continue to decline in early 1988.”
Year
Unemployment Rate
Percent Change

Year
Unemployment Rate
Percent Change
1980
5.429

1998
9.7
22.78
1981
6.561
20.85

1999
13.1
35.05
1982
7.1
8.22

2000
13.325
1.72
1983
8.694
22.45

2001
14.976
12.39
1984
8.986
3.36

2002
15.653
4.52
1985
8.742
-2.72

2003
14.157
-9.56
1986
7.654
-12.45

2004
13.599
-3.94
1987
7.361
-3.83

2005
11.763
-13.50
1988
6.451
-12.36

2006
12.037
2.33
1989
6.792
5.29

2007
11.15
-7.37
1990
6.637
-2.28

2008
11.3
1.35
1991
6.377
-3.92

2009
12
6.19
1992
5.935
-6.93

2010
11.8
-1.67
1993
5.038
-15.11

2011
10.8
-8.47
1994
4.914
-2.46

2012
9.6
-11.11
1995
5.649
14.96

2013
8.4
-12.50
1996
7.8
38.08

2014
7.9
-5.95
1997
7.9
1.28

After the 1940s, Colombia’s demographic make-up transformed extensively. These changes consist of the labor force increasing dramatically, while women giving birth took a substantial downturn.
Women who enter the labor force added up to about one-third of the total job force. The women that went searching for employment were housewives. These women would get jobs as maids, cleaners, and elevator operators in theaters and buildings in 1920s. In the 1920s the highest wage a women made was around $12 per week. Even with the low pay, making money is what women seen, and this also brought an increase to the poor’s family income.
Occupation
Women whose rate of wages per week were -
Total

Under $6
$6 and under $7
$7 and under $8
$8 and under $9
$9 and under $10
$10 and under $11
$11 and under $12
$12 and under $13
$13 and under $14
$14 and over

Building Cleaners
27
74
38
25
34
9
51
3

261
Building Head Cleaners

1

3
2
3
1
10
Building Maids

1
5
2
1

9
Building Elevator Operators

5
3
6
1
5
10
30
Theater Cleaners

4
11
4

11
3
1
4
38
Theater Maids
1
1

1

3
1
2
9
Totals
28
75
42
38
49
14
72
12
10
17