In the January–March 2026 quarter, the informal employment rate increased 0.7 percentage points (pp) year on year to stand at 26.5%, according to information from the latest Labour Informality Bulletin, which is produced by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

In the same period, the number of informally employed persons rose 3.2% year on year to stand at 2,498,665.

According to sex, the increase in the informally employed can be attributed to the expansion in women (4.1%) and men (2.5%). By age bracket, the main influences on the variation in informal employment rate were in the rises in brackets 45–54 years (7.7%) and 65 years and over (7.8%).

According to economic sector, the increase can mainly be attributed to the rises in commerce (7.9%), manufacturing (5.8%), and transport and storage (4.9%).

By occupational group, the main influences on the twelve-month increase in informally employed persons (3.2%) were the rises in elementary occupations (5.9%) and service and sales workers (3.1%).

By occupational category, the increase in informally employed persons can mainly be attributed to wage earners of the private sector (10.7%), wage earners of the public sector (12.5%), and employers (21.0%). In contrast, decreases were observed in own-account workers (-2.3%), unpaid family workers (-6.4%), and domestic workers (-2.7%).

Own-account workers and wage earners of the private sector accounted for 87.0% of the total number of informally employed persons, and their informal employment rates were 63.6% and 16.5%, respectively.

The year-on-year decrease in informal own-account workers (-2.3%) can mainly be attributed to the falls in men (-2.3%) and women (-2.2%) and to the falls in other service activities (-7.9%) and construction (-3.8%).

When is a person considered to be informally employed?

Informally employed persons are dependent workers whose employment relationship does not provide access to social welfare benefits (healthcare and pension). The informally employed include those who work independently in a company, business, or activity that belongs to the informal sector. Unpaid family workers are also classified as informally employed person.

See:

Labour informality bulletin no. 34: January–March 2026 (English translation)