Individual and Structural Determinants of Underemployment: A Comparative Study between Colombia and the Atlantic Coast
This article analyzes the determinants of underemployment in Colombia and in the departments of the Atlantic Coast (Sucre, Cesar, La Guajira, Magdalena, and Córdoba), using microdata from the 2024 Great Integrated Household Survey (GEIH). A Probit model corrected for heteroskedasticity is estimated to identify individual, labor-related, and household variables associated with the probability of being underemployed. The results reveal significant differences between the Atlantic Coast and the national average. In the coastal region, variables such as education and gender lose statistical significance, suggesting broader labor market precarization. Employment stability, occupation type, and industry sector emerge as the most relevant determinants of underemployment. These findings support the need for regionally targeted labor policies to address structural underemployment, particularly in areas where informality and poor job quality remain pervasive.
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