Portugal's unemployment rate fell again in the second quarter of 2026, reaching its lowest level in more than two decades, according to a report by Público.
The jobless rate dropped to 5.3% in the April-to-June period, as reported by Jornal de Negócios. This marks a return to a downward trend after a previous uptick, with the figure representing a multi-decade minimum for the country.
The number of employed people also reached its highest level since 2011, according to the same outlet. In year-on-year terms, the labor market added roughly 150,000 jobs over the past twelve months, a figure cited by Economia e Finanças. The publication went as far as to describe the unemployed as a "species" nearing extinction, reflecting the tightness of the current labor market.
However, regional data shows a more mixed picture. RTP Açores reported that in the Azores, the unemployment rate rose by 1.1 percentage points compared with the same quarter last year. Despite that, regional official Paula Margarido said the latest figures confirm the solidity of the local labor market, according to dnoticias.pt.
The national decline in unemployment comes after a period of fluctuation, with the previous quarter having shown an increase. The new data suggests the broader trend remains positive, even as regional disparities persist.
What to watch next: Whether the national unemployment rate can hold at these historic lows in the second half of 2026, and if the Azores' upward tick signals a broader regional divergence.
