Finance: Labour market news in Portugal

Friday Briefing: Immigrant exodus raises economic concerns

portugal decoded5 Jun

What is needed to value careers in Portugal?

Employment slows down due to tighter immigration and lower economic growth

Unemployment rate stabilised. Is there still room for it to fall?

Stable labour market. Unemployment rate remains at 5.6%

In September, for the second consecutive month, the unemployment rate stood at 5.6%, according to data released this Thursday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). The employed population increased compared to last year but decreased in comparison to August, now totalling approximately 5.3 million people. The unemployment rate stood at...

Unemployment in Portugal: Municipalities with the Highest and Lowest Rates

An analysis of the regions in Portugal with the highest and lowest levels of unemployment.

oRegiões25 Oct

European wages are not born from old laws.

As long as we persist in the illusion that it is possible to distribute wealth before creating it, we will continue to lament the distance that separates us from Europe.

Service trade and labour mobility between Portugal and Spain are underdeveloped, says BdP

Iberian integration is 'substantial but visibly uneven' across different dimensions, with areas such as service trade and labour mobility still underdeveloped, concludes a joint article by the central banks of Portugal and Spain.

Slowdown in immigration casts doubt on Government's 2027 employment forecast

The Technical Budget Support Unit (UTAO) has questioned the Government's projections for 2027 employment growth and price developments. In its analysis of the 2027 State Budget proposal, the UTAO states that the forecast of 1.4% job growth is difficult to reconcile with the recent slowdown in net immigration. The unit also warns that the Government's inflation forecast appears inconsistent with its technical assumptions regarding oil prices, and notes risks associated with the energy shock. While the economic growth estimates for 2026 are considered compatible with recent data, the UTAO highlights that the 2027 outlook relies on sustained increases in labour market participation and continued positive migration balances.

Registered unemployment records a 10% year-on-year drop in September

At the end of September, 271,984 unemployed individuals were registered with the Employment Services of the Mainland and the Autonomous Regions.

The new challenge for companies: attracting a generation that no longer measures success by promotions

The Portuguese labour market is experiencing an apparently contradictory reality. In July, according to data from the INE, the unemployment rate stood at 5.7%, while among young people it reached 20.1%. At the same time, companies continue to face difficulties in finding professionals with the skills they need. This gap reveals that the challenge...

Unemployment rate falls to 5.7% in August - INE

The unemployment rate was 5.7% in August, 0.2 percentage points lower than in the same month of 2025 and the same figure as in July, according to provisional statistics released today by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

Unemployment rate unchanged for the third consecutive month. Employment grows compared to a year ago

The Portuguese labour market continues to show signs of stability. According to data released this Wednesday by the National Statistics Institute, the unemployment rate stood at 5.7% in August, remaining unchanged from the previous month. While the employed population fell month-on-month, it increased again compared to the same period last year.

The challenges of the labour market in Portugal

Portugal is facing a structural problem of an ageing population and a shrinking working-age population. EURES – European Employment Services – links the growing labour shortage to demographic change. Added to this problem is a mismatch between available qualifications and the needs of the economy. Although 14% of Portuguese people are overqualified, 41% work in an area...

Talent management: do companies really know their professionals?

September marks the return to routine and, for many organisations, the resumption of recruitment and talent management plans, as well as the definition of priorities for the final months of the year. It is also an opportune moment to assess whether these strategies remain aligned with the labour market context. Talent management starts...

Despite record employment, productivity remains below the EU

The Portuguese labour market shows record employment figures, yet productivity levels continue to lag behind the European Union average.

Portugal hits record employment as productivity lags behind

Home News Portugal hits record employment as productivity lags behind Portugal hits record employment as productivity lags behind Labour productivity remains below 2000 levels and stands at 66. 9 percent of the EU average.

Unemployment rises for the second consecutive month, but remains below 2025 levels

Employment centres had 273,723 registered unemployed people at the end of August

Bank employees, a portrait of a changing sector

This article comes in light of “Bank employees: Portraits with a value date”, published by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, a book that looks at a profession that for decades was synonymous with prestige, stability, and social mobility, but which has lost weight due to the economic, technological, and organisational changes in banking in Portugal. Based on testimonies and...

Longer lives change the labour market

Employment. Part-time roles, phased retirement, flexible hours, workplace adaptation, reskilling, multigenerational teams, and valuing experience are solutions that are beginning to reshape careers after the age of 50.

The future cannot be built without young people

Portugal is experiencing a contradiction that should concern us more than it does. Many companies claim they cannot find workers, yet youth unemployment remains well above the national average. According to the INE, in December 2025, the unemployment rate stood at 5.6%, but reached 18.4% among young people aged 16 to 24. There is no shortage of...

Eurozone unemployment rate rises slightly to 6.4% in July, Portugal remains below

The unemployment rate in the eurozone saw a marginal increase in July, reaching 6.4%, while Portugal's rate remains lower than the regional average.

Unemployment stabilises in the European Union. Portugal remains below the bloc's average

July was marked by a stabilisation of the labour market in the European Union (EU). According to data released this Tuesday by Eurostat, unemployment remained unchanged in both the EU and the Eurozone compared to June. In Portugal, the rate also recorded an identical figure in July compared to...

If only Portugal could stem its brain drain

Unemployment decreases in Portugal

Men's unemployment rate falls to 1998 levels, while youth unemployment exceeds 20%

The unemployment rate in Portugal remains below 6% for the fifth consecutive month. Labour underutilisation was at its lowest in June, but rose slightly in July.

Stable labour market. Unemployment remains unchanged between June and July

The Portuguese labour market continues to show signs of stability. According to data released this Monday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the unemployment rate stood at 5.7% in July, a figure identical to the previous month and only 0.1 percentage points lower than that recorded a year ago. “The unemployment rate...