The national unemployment rate was 8.3% in the December 2025–February 2026 quarter (DJF 2026), according to information from the National Employment Survey (ENE), which is produced by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The decrease in the unemployment rate (-0.1%) was a result of the slightly slower rate of growth in the labour force (1.0%) than in employed persons (1.0%)¹. The increase in the number of unemployed persons (0.3%) can exclusively be attributed to the rise in first-time job seekers (11.9%) because the number of the unemployed with prior work experience decreased 1.1% in the same period.

Compared to the same period in the previous year, the participation rate and employment rate showed no variation, remaining at 62.3% and 57.1%, respectively. The increase in the population outside the labour force (0.8%) was influenced by the rises in inactive persons who are potentially active (8.1%) and future starters (0.6%).

For women, the unemployment rate decreased 0.3 pp year on year to stand at 9.0%. The decrease was due to the slower growth in the labour force (2.1%) than in employed women (2.4%). In the same period, the decrease in the number of unemployed women (-0.7%) was influenced by the falls in the unemployed with prior work experience (-0.7%) and first-time job seekers (-0.7%). For women, the participation rate rose 0.6 pp to stand at 53.3% and the employment rate rose 0.7 pp to stand at 48.5%. The decrease in women outside the labour force (-0.5%) can be exclusively attributed to the routinely inactive.

For men, the unemployment rate was 7.8%, an increase of 0.1 pp year on year. The increase was due to the net effect of the rise in the labour force (0.1%) and the lack of variation in employed men. In the same period, the increase in the number of unemployed men (1.2%) can exclusively be attributed to first-time job seekers (26.9%). For men, the participation rate fell 0.6 pp to stand at 71.7% and the employment rate fell 0.6 pp to stand at 66.1%. The increase in the number of men outside the labour force (3.0%) was influenced by inactive persons who are potentially active and by the routinely inactive.

Increase in employed persons

The year-on-year increase in the estimated total number of employed persons (1.0%) can exclusively be attributed to the rise in women (2.4%) because the number of employed men showed no variation.

According to economic sector, the growth in employed persons was influenced by the rises in health activities (8.9%), professional activities (14.8%), and accommodation and food service (9.4%). According to occupational category, the growth can be attributed to the rises in own-account workers (5.1%) and informal wage earners (7.5%).

Labour informality

The informal employment rate rose 0.4 pp year on year to stand at 26.5%. For women, the informal employment rate rose 0.7 pp to stand at 28.0%. For men, the rate rose 0.2 pp to stand at 25.4%.

By economic sector, the greatest influences on the year-on-year increase in informally employed persons were the rises in accommodation and food service (20.7%) and commerce (3.3%). By occupational category, the greatest influences were the rises in wage earners of the private sector (8.7%) and employers (28.5%).

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 8.5%, a decrease of 0.1 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, decreased 0.1% year on year while the average number of hours worked fell 1.1% to stand at 35.4 hours. Men worked an average of 38.1 hours, and women worked an average of 31.9 hours.

The combined rate of unemployment and the potential labour force (which, in addition to unemployed persons, includes persons who are outside the labour force and are available to work or are seeking employment) stood at 17.3%, an increase of 0.5 pp. The indicator stood at 14.8% for men and 20.4% for women, and the gender gap was 5.6 pp.

Metropolitan Region 

In the Metropolitan Region, the unemployment rate for the December 2025–February 2026 quarter decreased 0.4 pp year on year to stand at 8.8%. In the same period, the estimated total number of employed persons increased 0.5%, which can mainly be attributed to the rises in the economic sectors accommodation and food service (15.5%), professional activities (13.3%), and manufacturing (5.5%).

Annual data from the National Employment Survey

In 2025, the estimated unemployment rate was 8.6%, an increase of 0.1 pp compared to 2024, according to the figures in the technical supplement on annual estimates of the National Employment Survey, which is published by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The annual increase in the unemployment rate was due to the slower increase in employed persons (1.0%) than in the labour force (1.1%). In 2025, the growth in the unemployed population (2.1%) was influenced by the rises in the unemployed with prior work experience (1.2%) and first-time job seekers (11.1%).

By economic sector, the increase in employed persons was influenced by administrative and support services (10.6%), accommodation and food services (6.1%), and information and communications (12.9%).

In 2025, the participation rate increased 0.1 pp to stand at 62.1% and the employment rate increased 0.1 pp to stand at 56.8%.

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