The number of unemployment benefit recipients fell by 7.5% in February year-on-year, and decreased by 4.4% compared to January, when it reached its highest level since February 2025, totalling 195,887. Compared to the same period last year, there was a decrease of 15,882 recipients, representing a 7.5% drop. In comparison with...
Unemployment benefit recipients fall by 7.5%
Friday, 20 March 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
Segurança Social is Portugal's public social security system, responsible for administering pensions, unemployment benefits, sickness pay, parental leave, family allowances, and other social support payments. It is funded through mandatory contributions from employers and employees.
Most services are managed online through Segurança Social Direta (SSD), where users can check contribution records, apply for benefits, submit declarations, and track payments using their NISS (Social Security Identification Number) and Citizen Card credentials.
Key interactions for residents include registering as a contributor (mandatory for all workers), claiming unemployment benefits, applying for parental leave, and accessing the minimum income scheme (Rendimento Social de Inserção). Self-employed workers (trabalhadores independentes) must also make quarterly income declarations through the platform.
