Phoenix 24
Formal employment now outweighs expectations of immediate salary growth.
BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA — July 2026. Nearly seven in ten Colombian workers have considered, are evaluating or actively planning to migrate in search of better professional and economic opportunities. The finding comes from a Buk survey of 344 salaried and independent workers conducted after the presidential election. Only 32 percent said they were not considering leaving the country.
Employment stability emerged as the most urgent concern. Forty-two percent called for greater formalization and less reliance on service contracts for roles they consider permanent. Among Generation Z and millennials, that figure reached 45 percent.
Social protection ranked second, with 27 percent prioritizing improvements to pensions and healthcare. Concern rose to 31 percent among women and 36 percent among Generation X. Younger workers face a different challenge, as 39 percent of Generation Z identified access to a first job as the country’s principal labor problem.
Expectations surrounding the new government remain cautious. Fifty-three percent believe finding work will remain equally difficult over the next 12 months, while 24 percent expect conditions to worsen. Regarding salaries, 72 percent predict no change, compared with 18 percent anticipating increases and 10 percent fearing reductions.
The findings suggest that Colombian workers are seeking more than higher income. Contract security, professional development, social protection and the possibility of building a long-term future increasingly shape their decisions. The high level of migration intent signals a deep loss of confidence in the domestic labor market.
For many Colombian workers, the future they seek increasingly appears to exist beyond the country’s borders.