The national unemployment rate was 8.4% in the August–October 2025 quarter (ASO 2025), according to information from the National Employment Survey (ENE), which is produced by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The national unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percentage points (pp) year on year, which was due to the faster growth in employed persons (1.5%) than in the labour force (1.3%). In the same period, the decrease in the number of unemployed persons (-0.2%) can be exclusively attributed to the fall in the redundant (-0.9%).

The participation rate increased 0.3 pp year-on-year to stand at 61.9%, and the employment rate increased 0.4 pp to stand at 56.7%. Meanwhile, the increase in the population outside the labour force (0.2%) was influenced by the rises in the routinely inactive (0.4%) and future starters (10.4%).

The unemployment rate for women decreased 0.5 pp year on year to stand at 8.8%. The decrease was a result of the slower growth in the labour force (2.2%) than in employed women (2.7%). In the same period, the decrease in the number of unemployed women (-2.9%) can be exclusively attributed to the fall in the redundant (-3.8%). For women, the participation rate rose 0.7 pp to stand at 53.0% and the employment rate rose 0.8 pp to stand at 48.3%. The decrease in the number of women outside the labour force (-0.6%) can exclusively be attributed to the routinely inactive.

The unemployment rate for men (8.2%) increased 0.1 pp year on year as a result of the faster growth in the labour force (0.7%) than in employed men (0.5%). In the same period, the increase in unemployed men (2.1%) was influenced by the rises in the redundant (1.6%) and first-time job seekers (9.1%). For men, the participation rate fell 0.2 pp to stand at 71.1% and the employment rate fell 0.2 pp to stand at 65.3%. The increase in men outside the labour force (1.5%) was influenced by the routinely inactive and by future starters.

Increase in employed persons

The twelve-month increase in the estimated total number of employed persons (1.5%) was influenced by the rises in women (2.7%) and men (0.5%).

According to economic sector, the growth in employed persons can be attributed to the rises in administrative and support services (17.3%), health activities (7.1%), and transport (7.2%). According to occupational category, the growth can be attributed to the rises in formal wage earners (1.2%) and informal wage earners (6.0%).

Labour informality

The informal employment rate fell 0.9 pp year on year to stand at 26.2%. The number of informally employed decreased 1.7% year-on-year, which can be exclusively attributed to the fall in men (-4.2%).

According to economic sector, the decrease in the informally employed was mainly due to falls in commerce (-5.0%) and manufacturing (-9.1%). By occupational category, the decrease was due to the falls in own-account workers (-7.5%) and employers (-17.1%).

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 8.4%, 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 2.4% year on year while the average number of hours worked rose 0.8% to stand at 36.5 hours. Men worked an average of 38.7 hours, and women worked an average of 33.8 hours.

The combined rate of unemployment and the potential labour force (LU3) decreased 0.3 pp to stand at 16.4%. This indicator stood at 14.3% for women and 18.9% for men, and the gender gap was 4.6 pp.

Metropolitan Region 

In the Metropolitan Region, the unemployment rate for the August–October 2025 quarter decreased 0.3 pp year on year to stand at 8.6%. In the same period, the estimated increase in the total number of employed persons (2.1%) was mainly due to the rises in the economic sectors of administrative and support services (23.4%) and information and communications (20.0%).

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