The national unemployment rate was 9.4% for the April–June 2026 quarter (AMJ 2026), according to information from the National Employment Survey (ENE), which is produced by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The twelve-month increase in the national unemployment rate (0.5 pp) resulted from the faster growth in the labour force (1.5%) than in employed persons (0.9%). In the same period, the increase in unemployed persons (7.7%) was influenced by the rises among the unemployed with prior work experience (7.5%) and first-time job seekers (9.8%).

Compared to the same period of the previous year, the participation rate increased 0.4 pp to stand at 62.3% and the employment rate showed no variation, remaining at 56.4%. In the same period, the decrease in the population outside the labour force (-0.1%) was influenced by the falls in inactive persons who are potentially active (-4.3%) and future starters (-10.7%).

For women, the unemployment rate increased 0.5 pp year on year to stand at 10.4%. The increase was due to the faster growth in the labour force (2.3%) than in employed women (1.7%). Meanwhile, the increase in the number of unemployed women (7.9%) can be attributed to the rises among the unemployed with prior work experience (8.7%) and first-time job seekers (1.7%). For women, the participation rate rose 0.8 pp to stand at 53.7% and the employment rate rose 0.4 pp to stand at 48.1%. The fall in the number of women outside the labour force (-0.7%) was influenced by inactive persons who are potentially active and future starters.

For men, the unemployment rate (8.7%) increased 0.6 pp year on year as a result of the faster growth in the labour force (0.9%) than in employed men (0.3%). In the same period, the rise in unemployed men (7.6%) was influenced by the increases in the unemployed with prior work experience (6.5%) and first-time job seekers (21.5%). For men, the participation rate showed no variation, remaining at 71.3% while the employment rate decreased 0.3 pp to stand at 65.2%. The increase in the number of men outside the labour force (0.9%) can be exclusively attributed to the routinely inactive.

Increase in employed persons

The estimated twelve-month variation in the total number of employed persons (0.9%) was influenced by the rises in the number of women (1.7%) and men (0.3%).

According to economic sector, the growth in employed persons was influenced by increases in transport (6.8%), administrative and support services (12.9%), and health activities (5.1%). According to occupational category, the growth can be attributed to increases in own-account workers (8.6%) and informal wage earners (2.8%).

The informal employment rate increased 1.0 pp year on year to stand at 27.0%. For women, the informal employment rate rose 1.3 pp to stand at 28.9%. For men, the rate rose 0.7 pp to stand at 25.5%.

The increase in the number of informally employed persons (4.7%) was influenced by the rises in the number of women (6.6%) and men (3.2%). By economic sector, the increase in the informally employed can mainly be attributed to the rises in commerce (6.8%) and administrative and support services (21.0%). By occupational category, the increase was influenced by the rises among own-account workers (7.2%) and wage earners of the private sector (4.1%).

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 9.3%, showing no variation 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 0.2% year on year. Similarly, the average number of hours worked decreased 0.7% to stand at 36.7 hours. Men worked an average of 39.0 hours, and women worked an average of 33.8 hours.

Metropolitan Region

In the Metropolitan Region, the unemployment rate for the April–June 2026 quarter decreased 0.1 pp year on year to stand at 9.4%. The decrease was due to the slower growth in the labour force (0.7%) than in employed persons (0.9%). According to economic sector, the growth in employed persons was influenced by the increases in transport (9.7%), manufacturing (6.1%), and commerce (2.9%). By occupational category, the growth was influenced by increases in own-account workers (14.3%) and employers (29.3%).

Policy of Revision and updating of figures of the 2026 ENE

In accordance with the policy of revision and updating of the results of the National Employment Survey (ENE), INE has implemented its yearly revision and update, which analyzes the period from February-March-April 2025 to January-February-March 2026, with the possibility of incorporating other improvements outside this period. The details of this process are given in its respective technical supplement.

With the revision and updating of ENE figures, the National Statistics Institute reaffirms its commitment to the public to continue the production and dissemination of quality official statistical information in a timely, rigorous, and updated manner, in accordance with international best practices.

A New Dimension of Analysis: International Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE-18)

At the 20th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS), the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted the Resolution concerning statistics on work relationships, establishing the International Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE-18) as the new international standard for measuring and classifying occupational status, replacing the 1993 International Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE-93). The update responds to changes observed in the ways work is organized and in labour relations, which are characterized by the expansion of various types of employment that do not fully conform to the traditional distinction between wage labour and self-employment.

Among the key innovations in ICSE-18 is the inclusion of the “dependent contractors” category, which consists of individuals who have commercial contracts for the provision of goods or services but who are economically or organizationally dependent on another economic entity to carry out their activities. The identification of this category represents one of the major conceptual advances of ICSE-18 compared to the previous classification.

The National Statistics Institute (INE), through the National Employment Survey (ENE), has therefore undertaken the process of adopting and adapting ICSE-18, which is part of an ongoing effort toward conceptual and methodological harmonization that the survey has consistently pursued in close alignment with developments in international standards for labour statistics. 

The new classification system will be incorporated into ENE’s labour market analysis, specifically for the national employment bulletin in data of the ENE an appendix providing additional information, starting with the publication of the results for the April–June 2026 period (AMJ 2026) while continuing the analysis of occupational categories according to ICSE-93. Information from ICSE-18 will be incorporated into the databases of the ENE starting from 2020. In addition, two new statistical tables will be included in the dissemination of the results, along with additional material that describes the methodology developed for the adaptation and adoption of ICSE-18 in the ENE. 


See:

ENE National Bulletin no. 333: April - June 2026 (English translation)

ENE Metropolitan Region Bulletin no. 121: April - June 2026 (in Spanish)

ENE Statistical Note, no. 51: April - June 2026 (in Spanish)

Technical Supplement 2026: Policy of Revision and Updating of Figures of the ENE of 31 July 2026 (in Spanish)

A New Dimension of Analysis No. 7 (31 July 2026: International Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE-18) (in Spanish)

Methodological Document: Adoption of the International Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE-18) in the National Employment Survey (in Spanish)

Presentation – National Employment Survey (ENE) 31 July 2026 (in Spanish)