Chile Unemployment Rate Edges Up

2026-06-30 13:25 By Larissa Caser 1 min. read

Chile's unemployment rate rose to 9.4% in the March–May 2026 period, up from 8.9% a year earlier and above market expectations of 9.1%.

It was the highest reading since the quarter ending June 2021, as the labor force grew faster than employment.

The number of unemployed reached 981 thousand, the highest since the quarter ending October 2020.

The labor force participation rate edged up to 62.4%, with the labor force increasing 1.3% to 10.4 million.

Employment rose 0.8% to 9.42 million, lifting the employment rate to 56.5%.

Job growth was led by manufacturing (5.2%), health activities (6.0%), and professional, scientific and technical activities (11.6%).



News Stream
Chile Unemployment Rate Edges Up
Chile's unemployment rate rose to 9.4% in the March–May 2026 period, up from 8.9% a year earlier and above market expectations of 9.1%. It was the highest reading since the quarter ending June 2021, as the labor force grew faster than employment. The number of unemployed reached 981 thousand, the highest since the quarter ending October 2020. The labor force participation rate edged up to 62.4%, with the labor force increasing 1.3% to 10.4 million. Employment rose 0.8% to 9.42 million, lifting the employment rate to 56.5%. Job growth was led by manufacturing (5.2%), health activities (6.0%), and professional, scientific and technical activities (11.6%).
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Chile's unemployment rate rose to 8.9% for the January-March 2026 quarter, up from 8.3% in the prior quarter. On an annual basis, unemployed persons increased by 3.3%, driven by those who were unemployed (2.0%) and first-time job seekers (14.5%). Unemployment among women stood at 10.0%, while the rate among men reached 8.1%. In the Metropolitan Region, the unemployment rate for the January-March 2026 quarter hit 9.6%. The combined unemployment and potential labor force rate, which includes the unemployed plus people outside the labor force who are available to work or seeking employment, reached 17.4%.
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