In this paper, we present a description of the labour market in Valledupar for the period 2007-2017. We find that after the fall of coal prices, the labour market has presented a significant deterioration, reflected in the increase of unemployment rate, especially for the most educated, women and youth. The econometric results confirm that changes in coal prices have a positive and significant effect in labour participation and real wages. Moreover, we find that the return of higher education in Valledupar is lower, compared to the rest of cities in Colombia.
