Portugal Unemployment Rate Remains at Record Low Level

2026-03-03 11:11 By Joana Ferreira 1 min. read

Portugal’s unemployment rate held steady at a record-low 5.6% in January 2026.

The adult unemployment rate remained at 4.7%, the lowest since April 2002, while youth unemployment declined 0.4 percentage points to 18.2%, the lowest since April 2023.

The total number of unemployed edged up by 900 to 315,000, while total employment fell by 14,400 to 5.301 million.

Despite this, the employment rate remained at an all-time high of 65.8%, and the labor force participation rate stayed near its historical peak at 69.7%.

Meanwhile, the labor underutilization rate, which includes the unemployed, marginally attached workers, and part-time workers seeking full-time positions, edged down to 9.6% in January from 9.7% in December.



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Portugal Unemployment Rate Remains at Record Low Level
Portugal’s unemployment rate held steady at a record-low 5.6% in January 2026. The adult unemployment rate remained at 4.7%, the lowest since April 2002, while youth unemployment declined 0.4 percentage points to 18.2%, the lowest since April 2023. The total number of unemployed edged up by 900 to 315,000, while total employment fell by 14,400 to 5.301 million. Despite this, the employment rate remained at an all-time high of 65.8%, and the labor force participation rate stayed near its historical peak at 69.7%. Meanwhile, the labor underutilization rate, which includes the unemployed, marginally attached workers, and part-time workers seeking full-time positions, edged down to 9.6% in January from 9.7% in December.
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Portugal’s unemployment rate edged down to 5.6% in December 2025 from 5.7% in November, marking its lowest level since February 2002. The adult unemployment rate stood at 4.7%, the lowest since April 2002, while youth unemployment fell 0.5 percentage points to 18.4%. The total number of unemployed declined by 3.4 thousand to 314.8 thousand, while employment rose by 16.7 thousand, reaching a record high of 5.317 million. The employment rate climbed to an all-time high of 65.9%, and the labor force participation rate increased to 69.8%, near its historical peak. Meanwhile, the labor underutilization rate, which includes the unemployed, marginally attached workers, and part-time workers seeking full-time employment, slightly decreased to 9.7% in December from 9.8% in November.
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