As of the end of October, data from the Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional (IEFP) shows that 297,722 individuals were registered as unemployed across mainland Portugal and its autonomous regions. This figure represents 68% of the total 437,920 job requests.
Compared to October 2024, there were 14,788 fewer people registered at employment centers. This decline is attributed to decreases among those registered for less than 12 months (-14,136), those seeking new employment (-13,091), and individuals aged over 25 (-11,811).
In a month-on-month comparison, October saw 4,878 fewer people registered at employment centers compared to September.
This monthly drop in unemployment rates follows two consecutive months of increases, after six straight months of declines. Notably, in July, similar to the previous month, the number of registrations at employment centers hit a two-year low.
Focusing on professional groups of registered unemployed individuals on the mainland in October, the most represented groups were “unskilled workers” (29.3%), “personal service workers, protection service workers, and sellers” (19.6%), “intellectual and scientific experts” (11.8%), and “administrative personnel” (10.4%).
Among professional groups, compared to the previous year, the IEFP highlights declines among “farmers and skilled workers in agriculture, fishing, and forestry” (-19.1%), “administrative personnel” (-11.9%), “skilled industry workers, construction workers, and artisans” (-9.9%), and “technicians and intermediate-level professions” (-9%).
Conversely, there was an increase in unemployment among “legislative representatives, executive bodies, leaders, directors, and executive managers” (+12.5%) and “unskilled workers” (+1.6%).
Regionally, in October, unemployment decreased year-on-year in all regions, with the most significant decline (-19.1%) occurring in Madeira.
Compared to the previous month, there was a decrease in the regions of North, Center, and Lisbon and the Tagus Valley, but an increase in others, notably the Algarve (+19%).
Job vacancies at the end of the month totaled 18,768 nationwide, marking an annual increase in vacancies on file (+6,896; +58.1%) but a reduction from the previous month (-31; -0.2%).
IEFP data also indicates that throughout October, 54,013 individuals registered as unemployed nationwide, a number lower than the same month in 2024 (-3,918; -6.8%) and the previous month (-1,445; -2.6%).
Job offers received during this month totaled 11,696 nationwide, higher than the same period in 2024 (+2,696; +30%) but lower than the previous month (-1,428; -10.9%).
In October, placements totaled 8,150, exceeding the same period in 2024 (+2,533; +45.1%) but falling short of the previous month (-1,556; -16%).
