The number of unemployed people registered with the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) decreased in February compared to both the previous month and the same period last year, according to data released on Monday, March 23. By the end of the month, there were 305,179 unemployed individuals, representing a reduction of 33,556 people (-9.9%) compared to February 2025 and a drop of 5,529 (-1.8%) relative to January. The decline was widespread across all regions year-on-year, with the Azores recording the most pronounced contraction (-13.7%). In the monthly comparison, there were exceptions, with the Centre and the Azores showing increases in the number of registered individuals compared to January (+0.6% and +0.2%, respectively). By sector, registered unemployment fell by 12.7% in agriculture, 6.2% in industry, and 3.5% in services, pointing to a broad, albeit uneven, improvement in the labour market. Meanwhile, unfilled job vacancies registered with public services totalled 14,294 at the end of February 2026, an increase of 1,750 vacancies (+14%) year-on-year and 2,843 (+24.8%) compared to January. Enrolments at employment centres fell 11.1% to over 310,000 in January.