The national unemployment rate was 8.0% in the October–December 2025 quarter (OND 2025), according to information from the National Employment Survey (ENE), which is produced by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The unemployment rate decreased 0.1 pp year on year, which was a result of the equal growth in the labour force (1.8%) and employed persons (1.8%)¹. The increase in the number of unemployed persons (1.4%) can exclusively be attributed to the rise in first-time job seekers (24.4%).

Compared to the same period of the previous year, the participation rate increased 0.5 pp to stand at 62.1% and the employment rate increased 0.5 pp to stand at 57.1%. The decrease in the population outside the labour force (-0.5%) was influenced by the falls in the routinely inactive (-1.2%) and future starters (-9.1%).

The unemployment rate for women decreased 0.9 pp year on year to stand at 8.5%. The decrease was due to the slower growth in the labour force (2.7%) than in employed women (3.7%). For women, the decrease in the number of the unemployed (-7.0%) can exclusively be attributed to the fall in the redundant (-9.7%). Meanwhile, the participation rate for women rose 1.0 pp to stand at 53.1% and the employment rate rose 1.4 pp to stand at 48.6%. The decrease in women outside the labour force (-1.1%) was influenced by the variations in inactive persons who are potentially active and by future starters.

The unemployment rate for men (7.7%) increased 0.6 pp year on year as a result of the faster growth in the labour force (1.0%) than in employed men (0.4%). In the same period, the increase in the number of unemployed men (9.8%) was influenced by the rises in the redundant (7.2%) and first-time job seekers (38.2%). Meanwhile, the participation rate for men rose 0.1 pp to stand at 71.5% and the employment rate fell 0.3 pp to stand at 66.0%. The increase in the number of men outside the labour force (0.6%) was influenced by the variations in the routinely inactive and inactive persons who are potentially active.

Increase in employed persons

The increase in the estimated total number of employed persons (1.8%) was influenced by the rise in women (3.7%) and men (0.4%).

By economic sector, the growth in the employed population was influenced by the rises in administrative and support services (26.5%), accommodation and food service (7.4%), health activities (4.2%), and transport (5.3%). By occupational category, the growth was influenced by the rises in informal wage earners (6.8%) and own-account workers (3.5%).

Labour informality

The informal employment rate rose 0.4 pp year on year to stand at 26.8%. The informal employment rate for women rose 0.3 pp to stand at 28.7%, and the rate for men rose 0.6 pp to stand at 25.4%.

By economic sector, the greatest influences on the informally employed were the increases in administrative and support services (25.3%) and health activities (18.2%). By occupational category, the greatest influences were the increases in wage earners of the private sector (9.4%) and own-account workers (1.5%).

Seasonality

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (which eliminates the effects of exogenous seasonal factors of a non-economic nature that influence its current behavior) stood at 8.6%, an increase of 0.2 pp compared to the previous moving quarter.

Working hours and indicators of labour underutilization

The volume of work, as measured by the quantity of hours per week actually worked by employed persons, increased 1.3% year on year, and the average number of hours worked rose 0.5% to stand at 37.5 hours. Men worked an average of 39.7 hours, and women worked an average of 34.6 hours.

The combined rate of unemployment and the potential labour force (which in addition to measuring the unemployed also measures those outside the labour force who are available to work or are seeking a job) increased 0.1 pp to stand at 16.5%. This indicator stood at 14.2% for men and 19.3% for women, and the gender gap was 5.1 pp.

Metropolitan Region  

In the Metropolitan Region, the unemployment rate for the October–December 2025 quarter increased 0.2 pp year on year to stand at 8.6%. In the same period, the estimated  total number of employed persons increased 2.1%. By economic sector, the increase can mainly be attributed to the rises in administrative and support services (40.2%), manufacturing (4.6%), and accommodation and food service (9.7%).

¹ Measured with a greater number of decimal places, the labour force increased 1.763%, while employed persons increased by 1.797%.