Portugal Unemployment Rate Edges Down in April

Portugal’s unemployment rate edged down to 5.7% in April 2026 from 5.8% in each of the previous two months, and compared with 6.2% a year earlier. The number of unemployed stood at 322,000, a decrease of 3,300 from the previous month. A persistent gender gap remained, with the unemployment rate for women at 6.1%, compared with 5.3% for men. Youth unemployment fell to 17.9%, its lowest level since October 2022. Meanwhile, the employment rate edged up to 66.2%, the highest since February 1998, from 66.0% in the previous month, with the number of employed rising by 23,000 to 5.344 million. The inactivity rate declined to 29.8% from 30.0%, while the labour force increased by 19,900 to 5.666 million. The labour underutilisation rate stood at 9.7%, down from 9.8% in the previous month.

Portugal’s unemployment rate remained steady at 5.8% in March 2026, slightly above the record lows of late 2025. A persistent gender gap kept women’s unemployment at 6.3%, compared to 5.3% for men. The adult unemployment rate inched up to 5.0%, from 4.7% recorded from November 2025 to January 2026, while the youth unemployment rate dropped to 18.1%, its lowest level since October 2022. The total number of unemployed rose by 2,400 to 328,400, while employment increased by 4,900 to 5.30 million. Both the employment rate (65.7%) and labor force participation rate (69.8%) remained unchanged. The broader labor underutilization rate, which includes the unemployed, marginally attached workers, and underemployed part-time workers, stood at 9.8%.

Portugal’s unemployment rate rose to 5.8% in February 2026, ending a period of record lows after reaching 5.6% in January. The increase was uneven across demographics: women faced a higher unemployment rate of 6.4%, compared to 5.2% for men, maintaining a 1.2 percentage-point gap. Meanwhile, the adult unemployment rate edged up to 4.9%, slightly above the 4.7% recorded from November 2025 to January 2026, while the youth unemployment rate fell to 18.2%, its lowest since October 2022. The total number of unemployed grew by 12,300, bringing the total to 328,100, while total employment declined by 13,500, falling to 5.29 million. The employment rate slipped to 65.6% from January’s record high of 65.8%, and the labor force participation rate also dipped slightly to 69.7% from 69.8%. Additionally, the labor underutilization rate, which accounts for the unemployed, marginally attached workers, and part-time workers seeking full-time employment, increased marginally to 9.7% from 9.6%.