Portugal Unemployment Rate Falls to 5.5% in May

Portugal’s unemployment rate fell to 5.5% in May 2026 from 5.7% in the previous month, and compared with 6.2% a year earlier. The number of unemployed stood at 314,600, a decrease of 8,300 from the previous month. A persistent gender gap remained, with the unemployment rate for women at 6%, compared with 5.1% for men. Meanwhile, the employment rate edged up to 66.5% from 66.3% in the previous month, with the number of employed rising by 19,100 to 5.367 million. The inactivity rate declined to 29.6% from 29.7%, while the labour force increased by 10,700 to 5.681 million. The labour underutilisation rate stood at 9.4%, down from 9.7% in the previous month.

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%.