The national unemployment rate was 9.6% in the June–August 2026 quarter (JJA 2026), according to information from the National Employment Survey (ENE), which is produced by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The national unemployment rate increased 1.0 pp year on year, which was a result of the rise in the labour force (0.3%) and the fall in employed persons (-0.9%). In the same period, the increase in unemployed persons (13.0%) was influenced by the rises in the unemployed with prior work experience (12.1%) and first-time job seekers (23.2%).

The participation rate fell 0.3 pp year on year to stand at 61.5%, and the employment rate fell 0.9 pp to stand at 55.6%. Meanwhile, the increase in the population outside the labour force (1.8%) was influenced by the rises in the routinely inactive (1.6%) and inactive persons who are potentially active (3.4%).

For women, the unemployment rate increased 1.0 pp year on year to stand at 10.3%. The increase was due to the faster growth in the labour force (1.3%) than in employed women (0.2%). In the same period, the increase in the number of unemployed women (12.2%) can be attributed to the rises in the unemployed with prior work experience (12.8%) and first-time job seekers (6.2%). For women, the participation rate rose 0.2 pp to stand at 53.0% and the employment rate fell 0.3 pp to 47.6%. The increase in women outside the labour force (0.3%) was exclusively driven by inactive women who are potentially active.

The unemployment rate for men increased 1.1 pp year on year to 9.1%, which was the result of the lower magnitude of the fall in the labour force (-0.5%) than in employed men (-1.7%). In the same period, the increase in unemployed men (13.7%) was influenced by the expansion in the unemployed with prior work experience (11.4%) and first-time job seekers (46.9%). For men, the participation rate fell 1.0 pp year on year to stand at 70.3% and the employment rate fell 1.7 pp to stand at 63.9%. Meanwhile, the increase in the population outside the labour force (4.3%) can mainly be attributed to the rises in the routinely inactive and inactive men who are potentially active.

Fall in employed persons

The year-on-year decrease in the estimated total number of employed persons (-0.9%) can exclusively be attributed to the fall in men (-1.7%) because the number employed women rose 0.2% in the same period.

According to economic sector, the decrease in employed persons was influenced by the falls in manufacturing (-7.6%), information and communications (-16.8%), and commerce (-1.1%). According to occupational category, the decrease can be attributed to the falls in formal wage earners (-2.9%) and unpaid family workers (-4.0%).

The informal employment rate increased 0.3 pp year on year to 26.3%. For women, the informal employment rate rose 0.5 pp to 28.3%. For men, the rate rose 0.1 pp to stand at 24.8%.

The increase in informally employed persons (0.3%) can be exclusively attributed to the rise in women (2.0%) because the number of informally employed men fell 1.2% during the period. By economic sector, the increase in the informally employed can mainly be attributed to the rises in transport (8.6%) and administrative and support services (10.2%). By occupational category, the increase was influenced by the rises in domestic workers (14.6%) and wage earners of the private sector (1.1%).

Seasonality

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (which eliminates the effects of exogenous seasonal factors of a non-economic nature that influence its current behavior) was 9.4%, an increase of 0.1 pp compared to the previous moving quarter. The increase was the result of a lack of variation in the labour force, which in turn was due to the rise in the unemployed (0.8%) and the fall in the employed (-0.1%).

Working hours and indicators of labour underutilization

The volume of work, as measured by the quantity of hours actually worked by employed persons, decreased 2.4% year on year. Similarly, the average number of hours worked decreased 1.6% to stand at 36.4 hours. Men worked an average of 38.6 hours, and women worked an average of 33.5 hours.

Metropolitan Region

In the Metropolitan Region, the unemployment rate for the June–August 2026 quarter increased 0.9 pp year on year to reach 9.8%. The increase was due to the greater magnitude of the fall in the employed population (-1.0%) than in the labour force (-0.1%). According to economic sector, the decrease in employed persons was driven by the falls in information and communications (-25.1%), manufacturing (-10.3%), and health activities (-6.0%). According to occupational category, the decrease can be attributed to the falls in formal wage earners (-5.5%) and informal wage earners (-1.3%).

See:

ENE National Bulletin no. 335: June–August 2026 (English translation)

ENE National Bulletin no. 123: June–August 2026 (in Spanish)

ENE Statistical Note, no. 53: June–August 2026 (in Spanish)

National Employment Survey (ENE) Presentation of Results - 30 September 2026 (in Spanish)