Covid-19 in Colombia: Almost 500.000 New Unemployed

Colombia's National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) on Friday announced a 1.6 percent increase in year-on-year unemployment, which means almost half a million unemployed people.

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The current unemployment rate in Colombia is 14.2 percent, which represents 3.4 million people without a job.

The metropolitan regions, specifically the country's thirteen main cities, account for the largest number of affected people, with over two million unemployed.

These statistics are related to the increase in poverty rates during 2020, with over 21 million Colombians rated as poor and 7.4 million classified as extremely poor.

COVID-19 has negatively impacted Latin-America's economies. For example, Colombia had its worst GNP performance in 50 years. It is the poor and lower middle class who suffer most.

Colombia is now caught in a wave of social instability, generated by the growing and negative impact of COVID-19 and the rejection of the tax reform promoted by  president Ivan Duque, who is facing growing discontent.

Duque announced a review of his new tax bill after huge demonstrations all over Colombia, which left at least eight people reportedly killed by riot-police.