Uruguay’s unemployment rate edged up to 7.6% in May 2026 from 7.5% in April, pointing to a broadly stable labor market. By region, the jobless rate stood at 7.7% in Montevideo and 7.6% in the country’s interior. By gender, unemployment was lower among men at 6.8%, compared with 8.5% for women. Younger workers continued to face the highest unemployment, with the rate reaching 25.7% among those aged 14 to 24. For workers aged 25 to 29, the rate stood at 8.4%, while it declined steadily across older age groups, falling to 3.7% for those aged 35 to 44 and 2.3% for those aged 65 and over. Among employed workers, 8.8% were underemployed and 20.9% were not registered with social security in their main job. Meanwhile, Uruguay’s labor force participation rate stood at 64.4%, while the employment rate reached 59.5%. source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Uruguay

Unemployment Rate in Uruguay increased to 7.60 percent in May from 7.50 percent in April of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Uruguay averaged 7.98 percent from 2006 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 13.40 percent in January of 2006 and a record low of 5.40 percent in December of 2010. This page provides - Uruguay Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. Uruguay Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on July of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Uruguay increased to 7.60 percent in May from 7.50 percent in April of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Uruguay is expected to be 7.40 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Uruguay Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 7.90 percent in 2027 and 8.00 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-06-03 05:30 PM
Unemployment Rate
Apr 7.5% 7.8% 7.9%
2026-07-01 05:30 PM
Unemployment Rate
May 7.6% 7.5% 7.5%
2026-07-29 05:30 PM
Unemployment Rate
Jun 7.6% 7.80%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employment Rate 59.50 59.50 percent May 2026
Labor Force Participation Rate 64.40 64.20 percent May 2026
Population 3.59 3.57 million Dec 2025
Unemployment Rate 7.60 7.50 percent May 2026
Wages in Manufacturing 519.66 519.25 points May 2026


Uruguay Unemployment Rate
In Uruguay, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
7.60 7.50 13.40 5.40 2006 - 2026 percent Monthly
NSA

News Stream
Uruguay Jobless Rate Rises Slightly in May
Uruguay’s unemployment rate edged up to 7.6% in May 2026 from 7.5% in April, pointing to a broadly stable labor market. By region, the jobless rate stood at 7.7% in Montevideo and 7.6% in the country’s interior. By gender, unemployment was lower among men at 6.8%, compared with 8.5% for women. Younger workers continued to face the highest unemployment, with the rate reaching 25.7% among those aged 14 to 24. For workers aged 25 to 29, the rate stood at 8.4%, while it declined steadily across older age groups, falling to 3.7% for those aged 35 to 44 and 2.3% for those aged 65 and over. Among employed workers, 8.8% were underemployed and 20.9% were not registered with social security in their main job. Meanwhile, Uruguay’s labor force participation rate stood at 64.4%, while the employment rate reached 59.5%.
2026-07-01
Uruguay Jobless Rate Declines in April
Uruguay’s unemployment rate fell to 7.5% in April 2026 from 7.8% in March, signaling an improvement in labor market conditions. The jobless rate stood at 7.6% in Montevideo and 7.4% in the rest of the country, while employment rates reached 60.5% and 58.8%, respectively. By gender, unemployment was 6.4% among men and 8.7% among women. Youth unemployment remained significantly higher than for other age groups, reaching 23.3% among people aged 14 to 24. The rate was 10.2% for those aged 25 to 29 and below 7% for most age groups over 30. Among employed workers, 9.3% were underemployed, while 21.7% were not registered with the social security system in their main job.
2026-06-03
Uruguay Jobless Rate Rises in March
Uruguay’s unemployment rate rose to 7.8% in March 2026 from 7.4% in February, marking the highest level since May 2025. Joblessness was slightly higher in Montevideo at 8.0% than in the rest of the country at 7.6%. By gender, the unemployment rate stood at 9.3% for women and 6.4% for men, while youth unemployment remained elevated at 25.9% and was lowest among workers aged 65 and over at 2.9%. Among those employed, 9.4% were underemployed and 22% were not registered with social security in their main job. Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate edged down to 64.3% from 64.6%, and the employment rate declined to 59.3% from 59.8% in February.
2026-05-05