Latest news and stories about employment rate in Portugal for expats and residents.
Portugal ranks seventh among EU member states for employment rates within the 25 to 29 age demographic.
Portugal is in 12th place in the EU table, with an employment rate of 79.6% in 2025.
The employment rate was at historic highs at the end of 2025 in nine OECD countries, including Portugal, it was announced today.
In Portugal, the employment rate rose from 74.2% in the third quarter to 74.4% in the fourth quarter of last year.
Portugal recorded in December last year its lowest unemployment rate since February 2002. The labour force increased compared with November.
The employment rate across OECD countries remains elevated, and Portugal has reached its highest employment rate since 2005, reflecting improvements in labour-market conditions.
The Portuguese economy consolidates its full-employment status. In November, the unemployment rate was 5.7%, the lowest level since early 2002.
The unemployment rate decreased by 0.1 percentage points between October and November 2025, according to provisional data from Statistics Portugal (INE). The employment rate reached its highest level since 1998: 65.8%.
The job vacancy rate in the European Union decreased in the third quarter, with Portugal ranking as having the ninth lowest rate among member states.
