Nearly Half of Companies in Colombia Plan to Expand Their Workforce
The Colombian labor market enters the final quarter of 2026 with a sign of greater confidence from companies. Forty-eight percent of employers surveyed by ManpowerGroup Colombia say they expect to increase their workforce between October and December, a perspective that points to a year-end with greater movement in worker hiring.
ManpowerGroup Colombia’s Employment Outlook Survey, conducted among more than 600 employers, also shows a significant improvement in the Net Employment Outlook, which stood at 35%. The indicator increased by 18 percentage points compared with the same period in 2025 and by 13 points compared with the previous quarter, consolidating a recovery in companies’ hiring expectations.
Nearly half of companies in Colombia plan to expand their workforce
The survey result reflects a favorable scenario for those seeking employment in the final months of the year. In addition to the 48% of companies that expect to expand their teams, 37% anticipate keeping their number of workers stable, while 13% are considering reducing their workforces.
The difference between companies that expect to hire and those that anticipate reducing staff explains the 35% Net Employment Outlook. The indicator makes it possible to see more clearly the direction the labor market could take, beyond the individual behavior of each company.
For ManpowerGroup Colombia — a U.S.-based company specializing in human resources — the result shows that organizations are maintaining growth plans and continue to seek talent, although hiring decisions are still conditioned by economic factors.
The company has indicated that the increase in the outlook is related to a greater intention to create employment opportunities and the need to bring in professionals capable of responding to new business demands.
¿Cómo cerrará el mercado laboral colombiano el cuarto trimestre de 2026? Descúbrelo en la más reciente Encuesta de Expectativas de Empleo de ManpowerGroup Colombia.
Más de 600 empleadores revelan sus proyecciones de contratación, los sectores con mayor dinamismo, las ciudades… pic.twitter.com/xBsDEGDDV0
— ManpowerGroup Colombia (@ManpowerGroupCO) September 9, 2026
Automotive and technology lead
The outlook is not the same across all economic activities. The automotive sector ranks first in hiring expectations, with a Net Employment Outlook of 72%, while Technology and IT Services records an outlook of 54%.
Sectors such as Telecommunications and Media, Manufacturing, Natural Resources, Energy and Utilities, and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services also show positive performance. The diversity of activities with favorable outlooks indicates that the recovery in expectations is not concentrated in a single industry.
The performance of technology and IT services is particularly relevant in a labor market that continues to be transformed by digitalization and the adoption of artificial intelligence. ManpowerGroup’s survey itself analyzes the impact of these technologies, the evolution of the skills required, and changes in companies’ strategies to attract talent.
Small Colombian businesses are also taking center stage
Company size also makes a difference in the outlook for the end of the year. Companies with fewer than 10 workers have a hiring outlook of 49%, a result that represents an increase of 36 percentage points compared with the previous measurement.
This performance shows that employment opportunities do not depend exclusively on large companies and appears to confirm that the argument put forward at the beginning of the year by those opposed to the 23% increase in the minimum wage, decreed by the previous government, was not true.
Contrary to what was predicted at the time, small organizations are also considering expanding their teams, in a context in which the need for talent may be linked both to business growth and to the transformation of their operations.
The evolution is significant when compared with the results of previous quarters. For the third quarter of 2026, the Net Employment Outlook had reached 22%, four points above the previous quarter and two points higher than in the same period of 2025. The jump to 35% for the fourth quarter therefore represents a considerable acceleration in expectations.
A year-end with better prospects for the workforce
The increase in the Net Employment Outlook does not mean that all companies will hire or that the labor market is free of difficulties. Economic difficulties and instability continue to influence companies’ decisions and explain part of the forecasts for staff reductions.
However, the overall balance of the survey points to a more dynamic end to 2026. With nearly half of employers planning to increase their workforces and a net hiring indicator of 35%, Colombian companies are entering the final quarter with a greater willingness to hire workers than was recorded a year ago.
The figure also presents a challenge for workers and companies: as hiring intentions increase, the importance of having the skills demanded by an increasingly technology-driven market also grows. Adaptability, training, and the availability of specialized talent will be determining factors in turning these business expectations into new jobs.