​
​
Unemployment is one of the problems that generates main concern for governments around the world, since there are people willing to work for a job and do not get it, they will not have the necessary resources to support themselves and their family. For this reason the easiest way to discover unemployed people, is through the unemployment rate of a country, region or city. In this way, the unemployment rate is defined as “El número de personas desempleadas (D) como porcentaje de la fuerza laboral (FL) también llamada población económicamente activa (PEA). Esta fuerza laboral o población económicamente activa es la suma de las personas empleadas, las ayudantes familiares que no tiene un sueldo y que trabajan quince o más horas semanales, y las desempleadas” (Desempleo, s.f.)
​
The following figure shows the trend of unemployment in Colombia over the last six years (2011-2017) and also the rate of unemployment of each months in each year.
​
​
​
​
​
Unemployment rate
Basically, the figure shows a downward trend in unemployment in Colombia, thanks to the policies adopted by the government which aimed at reducing this rate. Therefore is pertinent to mention that from January to December of 2016 the unemployment rate in Colombia was 9.2%, increasing by 0.3% over the same period last year. In December of 2016 the unemployment rate was 8.7%, in 2015 8.6% and in 2014 8.7%, we can concluded that the variable has remain the same, and has not presented sudden changes through the years. Moreover, it is observed that over the years at the beginning of the year unemployment is higher than at the end of the year.
​
Consequently, the unemployment rate is an important perspective to evaluate how much this economic variable can affect the industry where a particular company is located, and determined how any organization can contribute to reduce the rate by creating vacancies and jobs for people willing to work and who are currently looking for one.
​
​