Lisbon, March 20, 2025 (Lusa) - The number of claimants receiving unemployment benefits in Portugal in February was up 7.2% on the same month last year, at 211,769, its highest level since January 2022, according to the Social Security statistical summary released on Thursday. 

Compared to February of 2024, there was an increase of 14,173 claimants.

Compared to January of this year, there was an increase of 1,757 claimants, or 0.8%, according to the summary from the Strategy and Planning Office (GEP) of the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security.

The number of people receiving unemployment benefit has been on the rise for four consecutive months, with the last two (January and February) surpassing the 200,000 barrier. According to the data available on the Social Security website, this is the highest figure since January 2022, when it totalled 225,410.

As far as unemployment benefit is concerned, the number of successful claimants in February was down 2,993 or 1.8% from January but up 12,079 or 7.8% on a year earlier.

"The average monthly value of unemployment benefit in February was 685.78 euros, representing a positive annual variation of 7.5%," reads the release.

The number of initial unemployment benefit claimants in February was up 445 or 3.9% on the month, to 11,845, but that figure was still down 177 or 1.5% from February of 2024.

As for subsequent unemployment benefit - for longer-term jobless - this covered 21,620 claimaints in February, which corresponds to an increase of 426 or 2% on the month but a year-on-year decrease of 767, or 3.4%.

As has been the case, unemployment benefits were claimed mostly by women, with 118,380 female claimants (55.9%) and 93,389 male claimants (44.1%). 

JMF/ARO // ARO.

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