the workforce, and key labor market indicators among the young population in Cartagena between 2012 and 2024, using a gender perspective. The analysis compares outcomes for Cartagena with the average of the country’s 22 main cities. The results show that young people in Cartagena, defined as individuals who are 18 to 28 years old, and especially young women, face higher levels of unemployment and inactivity, as well as lower labor incomes, compared to the adult population and to young people in other major cities. These local labor market characteristics are associated with a higher incidence of poverty than the national urban average, which has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, despite Cartagena’s status as one of the country’s main tourist destinations and the growth in annual visitor numbers. This combination of limited access to well-paid employment and persistently high poverty levels exposes young people in Cartagena to low-quality jobs, as the formal labor market does not offer sufficient opportunities to generate income and build viable life trajectories. The results highlight the need for priority attention to the gender dimension in the design of public policies in the city.
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Focus
This document analyzes the evolution of living conditions and labor market outcomes for young people in Cartagena between 2012 and 2024, with a particular emphasis on gender differences. The study compares the city’s youth population—especially women aged 18 to 28—with the adult population of Cartagena and with young people in Colombia’s main cities. To this end, it examines indicators of poverty, inequality, education, labor force participation, unemployment, informality, and labor income, within the context of an economy highly dependent on tourism and services.
In addition, the document discusses the need to strengthen institutional capacities to generate employment opportunities for young women in vulnerable situations, as opportunity gaps are particularly pronounced for this population group. Being a young woman with a low level of education in Cartagena often implies access only to the informal labor market, in positions where the average monthly income is around half of the minimum wage.
Contribution
This paper provides a comprehensive characterization of the gaps faced by young people in Cartagena, articulating demographic, social, and labor market dimensions. It also shows that Cartagena’s economic and tourism dynamism has not translated into better opportunities for the majority of the city’s youth. Moreover, the document introduces evidence on inequality of opportunity, showing that in Cartagena, being a woman represents a much more marked disadvantage than in other cities in the country.
The combination of persistent poverty, inequality, and limited labor market opportunities increases the vulnerability of young people in the city, which may lead them to seek income-generating options in illegal or highly risky activities.
Results
The results indicate that youth in Cartagena face higher levels of poverty and labor market precariousness than the average observed in Colombia’s main cities—a situation that worsened during the COVID 19 pandemic and whose recovery has been incomplete. These challenges are particularly acute among young women, who register higher unemployment rates and inactivity, lower labor income, and greater exposure to informal employment.
Despite the economic dynamism associated with tourism and services, these sectors generate a significant share of low-quality and informal jobs. In this context, the combination of persistent poverty, inequality, and limited labor market opportunities increases the vulnerability of young people in the city, potentially inducing them to seek income-generating alternatives in illegal or highly risky activities.