The informal employment rate was estimated at 28.1%, a year-on-year increase of 0.7 percentage points (pp), according to information from the latest Bulletin of Labour Informality of the National Statistics Institute (INE).

In the same period, the number of informally employed persons rose 5.8% to stand at 2,614,641.

The variation in the total number of informally employed was influenced by the increases in women (7.8%) and men (4.1%). According to age bracket, the main influences were the increases in those aged 65 years and over (17.1%) and those aged 45–54 years (6.0%).  

By economic sector, the increase in the informally employed was primarily due to rises in commerce (13.3%) and households as employers (22.5%).

By occupational group, the increase was principally driven by the rises in service and sales workers (10.9%) and elementary occupations (4.3%).

By occupational category, the increase in informally employed persons can mainly be attributed to the rises in wage earners of the private sector (8.0%), own-account workers (2.9%), domestic workers (19.1%), employers (46.2%), and unpaid family workers (5.3%).

Own-account workers and wage earners of the private sector accounted for 85.2% of the total number of informally employed persons. The informal employment rates of these two categories were 70.2% and 16.2%, respectively.

The year-on-year increase in informal own-account workers (2.9%) was influenced by the expansion in men (3.7%) and women (2.0%).

According to sector of activity, the increase in informally employed wage earners of the private sector (8.0%) was led by the rises in agriculture and fishing (14.5%) and commerce (7.0%).

When is someone considered to be informally employed? 

Informally employed persons are those whose work is dependent but they do not have access to social welfare benefits (health and pension) from their employment relationship. 

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 considered to be informally employed.
 
See:
Labour informality bulletin no. 26: January–March 2024