Lisbon, March 23, 2026 (Lusa) - The number of unemployed people registered at job centres in Portugal fell 9.9% in February year-on-year, and dropped 1.8% compared to January, according to data published on Monday by the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP).
According to the IEFP, at the end of February, 305,179 unemployed people were registered with employment services in the mainland and autonomous regions, representing 68.3% of a total of 446,736 job seekers.
This figure is 33,556 fewer people than in the same month of 2025. The change is explained by shifts in those registered for less than 12 months (-26,057), those seeking a new job (-27,078) and those over 25 years old (-24,936).
In a month-on-month comparison with January, there were 5,529 fewer people registered at job centres in February.
Analysing the professional groups of registered unemployed on the mainland, the most significant were "unskilled workers" (30.2%), "personal service, protection, security and sales workers" (20.4%), "specialists in intellectual and scientific activities" (10.4%) and "administrative staff" (10.2%).
In February, unemployment decreased in all regions year-on-year, with the Azores recording the largest drop (-13.7%).
Compared to the previous month, there was a decrease in all regions in February, except for the Central region (+0.6%) and the Azores (+0.2%). The most significant decrease occurred in the Algarve region (-7.1%).
The IEFP also reported that job vacancies received during the second month of this year totalled 12,183 nationwide, up 10.9% year-on-year and 3.7% above January.
At the end of the month, there were 14,294 unfilled job vacancies in employment services across the country, a growth of 14.0% year-on-year and 24.8% month-on-month.
Job placements during February reached 7,229 nationwide, a figure slightly lower (-0.6%) than in the same period last year, but 5.0% higher than in January.
An analysis of placements by occupational groups (mainland data) shows a higher concentration in "unskilled workers" (41.3%), "personal service, protection and security workers and salespersons" (19.2%) and "skilled workers in industry, construction and crafts" (11.3%).
PD/LYT // AYLS
Lusa
