Labor generation by departments

As has been observed throughout this chapter on job generation, one of the contributions of this industry in the territories is the engagement of local labor. Of the total contracts in 2016, 71% is labor that resides in the villages, townships, municipalities, and departments where the activities take place. Thus, companies generate opportunities for overcoming poverty and local development.

In fact, in the last five years, it has been observed that the highest local hiring occurs precisely in the departments where the sector's activities are focused. Specifically, 80% of the labor hiring in 2016 was generated in Casanare (17%), Meta (13%), Santander (12%), Cundinamarca (10%), Boyacá (7%), Tolima (6%), Putumayo (5%), Huila (4%), Bolívar (3%), and Arauca (3%). In these ten departments, 96% of the exploration and production activities of oil and gas are concentrated.

In this context, 80% of the hiring made by the hydrocarbons sector is concentrated in these departments. Of these 62,887 linkages, 32,994 were generated in Meta, Casanare, and Santander, where 75% of the country's production occurred in 2016.

The decrease in activities in the hydrocarbons sector undoubtedly generates an impact not only on the public finances of the country but also on local economies. Although in 2015 an average production of over one million barrels was maintained, it was in 2016 that the impact of the slowdown in operations was more evident, resulting in a decrease in labor linkage figures in each of the departments.

In 2016, production was reduced to an average of 886 thousand barrels; that is, a decrease of 120 thousand barrels. In fact, this reduction was more evident in Meta, where monthly production between 2015 and 2016 dropped from 513 barrels per day to 448; that is, a reduction of 65 thousand barrels per day. Similarly, a reduction in labor linkage is observed. In 2015, in this region, 20% of the hiring was made with a number close to 20 thousand people; however, in 2016 there was a reduction of 33% in linkages, reaching only 10 thousand contracts.

However, the trend was also observed in other departments. In Casanare, there was a decrease of almost 50% in labor linkage, which, in addition to being linked to the decrease in production levels, resulted from the little exploration activity carried out in the department.

Other departments where reductions are evident are Tolima and Huila. In these two regions, linkages decreased from 6,417 to 4,705 and from 4,182 to 2,912, respectively, between 2015 and 2016. However, in departments such as Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Putumayo, Bolívar, and Arauca, there were some increases in recent years, with these five departments going from 16,575 to 22,276 contracts in 2016. For its part, Santander showed a behavior similar to that of previous years.

Labor force, by departments, 2016