Colombia | The gender of informality

Summary

The labor informality rate in Colombia is higher for men (58%) than for women (53%), unlike other countries in the region. However, in specific subgroups like educational level and rural areas, women are more informal. Policies should focus on formality as a means to combat poverty.

Key points

• Key points:
• Women have higher informality rates than men in subgroups by educational level, especially without basic education (92.2% vs. 88.2%) and in rural areas (84.0% vs. 83.6%).
• Informality differences are also explained by the gender role division in certain jobs. Men have higher informality in construction and agriculture, while women dominate in manufacturing, caregiving, public administration, and commerce.
• Labor formality is closely linked to better social conditions and is a necessary condition to overcome poverty, highlighting the importance of designing public policies that promote labor formality across all sectors and subgroups.

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