The national unemployment rate was 8.9% for the March–May 2025 (MAM 2025), according to information from the National Employment Survey (ENE), which is produced by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The unemployment rate increased 0.6 pp year on year, which was a result of the faster growth in the labour force (0.8%) than in employed persons (0.2%). The increase in the number of unemployed persons (8.5%) was influenced by the rises in the redundant (8.3%) and first-time job seekers (10.4%).

Compared to the same period of the previous year, the participation rate showed no variation, remaining at 62.2%, and the employment rate decreased 0.4 pp to stand at 56.6%. The increase in the population outside the labour force (1.0%) was influenced by the rises in the routinely inactive (7.2%) and inactive persons who are potentially active (0.1%).

The unemployment rate for women increased 0.8 pp year on year to stand at 10.1%. The increase was due to the faster growth in the labour force (1.4%) than in employed women (0.5%). For women, the number of unemployed increased 10.6% while the participation rate rose 0.2 pp to stand at 53.0% and the employment rate fell 0.2 pp to stand at 47.7%. The increase in women outside the labour force (0.3%) was influenced by the growth in inactive persons who are potentially active and in future starters.

The unemployment rate for men (8.1%) increased 0.5 pp year on year as a result of the rise in the labour force (0.4%) and the fall in employed men (-0.1%). In the same period, the number of unemployed men increased 6.6% while the participation rate fell 0.3 pp to stand at 71.7% and the employment rate fell 0.7 pp to stand at 65.9%. The increase in the number of men outside the labour force (2.2%) was influenced by the routinely inactive and inactive persons who are potentially active.

Increase in employed persons

The increase in the estimated total number of employed persons (0.2%) can exclusively be attributed to the rise in women (0.5%) because the number of employed men fell 0.1% in the same period.

By economic sector, the growth in the employed population was influenced by the rises in accommodation and food service (11.2%), mining (9.8%), communications (10.7%), and financial and insurance activities (10.4%). By occupational category, the growth was influenced by the rises in formal wage earners (2.1%) and employers (2.1%).

Labour informality

The informal employment rate fell 2.2 pp year on year to stand at 26.0%. The decrease in informally employed persons (-7.8%) was influenced by the falls in men (-8.0%) and women (-7.5%).

By economic sector, the decrease in the informally employed can mainly be attributed to the falls in commerce (-13.2%) and transport (-18.3%). By occupational category, the decrease was influenced by the falls in own-account workers (-9.1%) and wage earners of the public sector (-25.5%).

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 8.9%, 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, decreased 1.3% year on year while the average number of hours worked fell 1.4% to stand at 37.3 hours. Men worked an average of 39.3 hours, and women worked an average of 34.8 hours.

The combined rate of unemployment and the potential labour force increased 1.0 pp year on year to stand at 16.7%. This indicator stood at 13.8% for men and 20.3% for women. The gender gap was 6.5 pp.

Metropolitan Region 

In the Metropolitan Region, the unemployment rate for the March–May 2025 quarter increased 0.9 pp year on year to stand at 9.5%. In the same period, the estimated  total number of employed persons decreased 0.2%. By economic sector, the decrease was mainly influenced by the falls in transport (-11.4%), commerce (-3.3%), and other service activities (-14.2%).

See:

ENE National Bulletin no. 320: March–May 2025 (English translation)

ENE Metropolitan Region Bulletin 108: March–May 2025 (in Spanish)

ENE Statistical Note, no. 38: March – May 2025 (Spanish only)