The national unemployment rate was 9.8% in the July–September 2026 quarter (JAS 2026), according to information from the National Employment Survey (ENE), which is produced by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The national unemployment rate increased 1.3 pp year on year, which was a result of the rise in the labour force (0.3%) and the fall in employed persons (-1.1%). In the same period, the increase in unemployed persons (15.3%) was influenced by the rises in the unemployed with prior work experience (14.4%) and first-time job seekers (24.7%).

The participation rate fell 0.3 pp year on year to stand at 61.6%, and the employment rate fell 1.1 pp to 55.5%. Meanwhile, the increase in the population outside the labour force (1.8%) was influenced by the rises in the routinely inactive (1.4%) and inactive persons who are potentially active (4.4%).

For women, the unemployment rate increased 1.4 pp year on year to stand at 10.5%. The increase was due to the rise in the labour force (1.4%) and the fall in employed women (-0.1%). In the same period, the increase in the number of unemployed women (16.7%) was influenced by the rises in the unemployed with prior work experience (16.4%) and first-time job seekers (19.6%). For women, the participation rate increased 0.3 pp to stand at 53.1% and the employment rate decreased 0.5 pp to 47.5%. The increase in women outside the labour force (0.2%) was exclusively driven by inactive women who are potentially active.

The unemployment rate for men increased 1.2 pp year on year to 9.3%, which was the result of the lower magnitude of the fall in the labour force (-0.6%) than in employed men (-1.9%). At the same time, the increase in unemployed men (14.0%) was influenced by the expansion in the unemployed with prior work experience (12.7%) and first-time job seekers (31.3%). For men, the participation rate fell 1.0 pp year on year to stand at 70.4% and the employment rate fell 1.8 pp to 63.9%. Meanwhile, the increase in the population outside the labour force (4.5%) was mainly driven by the routinely inactive and inactive men who are potentially active.

Fall in employed persons

The year-on-year decrease in the estimated number of employed persons (-1.1%) was influenced by the falls in men (-1.9%) and women (-0.1%). According to economic sector, the decrease in employed persons was influenced by the falls in manufacturing (-8.1%), information and communications (-20.8%), and financial and insurance activities (-14.1%). According to occupational category, the decrease can be attributed to the falls in formal wage earners (-2.5%) and employers (-2.8%).

The informal employment rate increased 0.2 pp year on year to stand at 26.4%. For women, the informal employment rate rose 0.1 pp to 28.2%. For men, the rate rose 0.3 pp to stand at 25.1%.

The year-on-year decrease in the estimated total number of informally employed persons (-0.3%) can exclusively be attributed to the fall in men (-0.8%) because the number of informally employed women rose 0.3% in the same period. By economic sector, the decrease in the informally employed was mainly due to the falls in commerce (-6.0%) and other service activities (-10.8%). By occupational category, the decrease was driven by the falls in own-account workers (-1.9%) and wage earners of the private sector (-0.6%).

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 9.6%, an increase of 0.2 pp compared to the previous moving quarter. The increase was the result of the variation in the labour force (0.2%), which in turn was due to the rise in the unemployed (2.3%) and the fall in the employed (-0.1%).

Working hours and indicators of labour underutilization

The volume of work, as measured by the total number of hours actually worked by employed persons, decreased 2.2% year on year. Similarly, the average number of hours worked decreased 1.1% to stand at 36.0 hours. Men worked an average of 38.1 hours, and women worked an average of 33.2 hours.

Metropolitan Region

In the Metropolitan Region, the estimated unemployment rate for the July–September 2026 quarter increased 1.6 pp year on year to reach 10.4%. The increase was due to the fall in the employed population (-1.3%) and the increase in the labour force (0.5%). According to economic sector, the decrease in employed persons was driven by the falls in information and communications (-29.0%), manufacturing (-10.6%), and financial and insurance activities (-15.7%). According to occupational category, the decrease can be attributed to the falls in formal wage earners (-4.5%) and informal wage earners (-1.3%).

See:

ENE National Bulletin no. 336 July–September 2026 (English translation) 

ENE Metropolitan Region Bulletin no. 124: July–September 2026 (in Spanish)

ENE Statistical Note, no. 54: July–September 2026 (in Spanish)

National Employment Survey (ENE) Presentation of Results - 29 October 2026 (in Spanish)