Registered unemployment at IEFP falls 8.7% in May. There are 26 thousand fewer registered people compared to last year, totalling 274 thousand people.
Source: Adobe Stock
Author: Redaction
Registered unemployment falls in May
Registered unemployment in Portugal fell again in May, according to data from the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP). In total, there were 274,766 unemployed people registered, 26,139 fewer than in the same month of 2025, representing a year-on-year decrease of 8.7%.
Compared with April, the number of people registered with IEFP also fell by 3%, showing an improvement trend in the labour market. The decline in registered unemployment at IEFP is seen across the entire national territory.
Unemployment falls across all regions and sectors
The reduction in registered unemployment at IEFP was observed in all regions of the country. The North led the declines with -12.3%, followed by the Azores and Madeira, with drops above 9%.
In the Algarve, the monthly decline in registered unemployment at IEFP was even more significant, with a 17.3% reduction compared to April. This evolution confirms the improving employment trend in several regions.
By economic sectors, registered unemployment at IEFP also fell broadly. The agricultural sector recorded a 15% decrease, the secondary sector 7.6%, and services 1.3%, year-on-year.
Job vacancies and labour market evolution
At the end of May, IEFP recorded 17,703 job vacancies still to be filled. Despite a slight annual decline, this figure increased compared to the previous month.
At the same time, the use of furlough schemes (lay-off) also changed on a monthly basis, according to Social Security data. In May, 4,778 situations were covered, 4.5% fewer than in April, although higher than in the same period last year. Of the total, 2,340 workers were on reduced working hours and 2,438 had their employment contracts temporarily suspended, reflecting different dynamics in the labour market. The number of employers involved also decreased compared to comparable periods.
The evolution of registered unemployment at IEFP continues to be one of the main indicators of the health of the labour market in Portugal, in a context of gradual economic adjustment.
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