Lisbon, Aug. 20, 2026 (Lusa) - The number of unemployed people registered at job centres fell by 8.1%, year-on-year, in July, but rose by 1.7% compared with June, after five consecutive months of decline, to 269,100, according to figures released by the IEFP on Thursday.
According to figures released today by the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP), at the end of July, «269,100 unemployed individuals were registered with the Employment Services on the mainland and in the Autonomous Regions, a figure representing 66.9% of a total of 402,238 jobseekers».
The number of people registered at job centres fell by 23,725 compared with July 2025. This decline «was driven, in absolute terms, by those registered for less than 12 months (-13,450), those seeking a new job (-20,664) and those aged over 25 (-19,582)».
However, in month-on-month terms, i.e. compared with June, 4,583 more people registered at job centres.
This figure therefore breaks a five-month cycle of declines, as the number of unemployed people registered at job centres had been falling since February.
With regard to the largest occupational groups, compared with the same period last year, there was a decrease in the number of «skilled workers in industry, construction and craft trades» (-13.6% ) among «skilled workers in industry, construction and craft trades» (-10.9% ) among «administrative staff» (-10.4%) and among «workers in personal services, protection and security, and sales staff» (-10.2%)», notes the IEFP.
Nevertheless, the institute also emphasises that the sharpest fall was recorded in the occupational group of «farmers and skilled workers in agriculture, fisheries and forestry», which fell by 20.6%, but stressed that «its overall impact is limited by its small share of the total, at just 2.1%».
On the other hand, there was an increase in unemployment among «representatives of the legislature, government bodies, senior officials, directors and executive managers (+8.3%)» and among «specialists in intellectual and scientific activities» (+0.9%), with the latter group standing out due to its significant share of the total (12%)», it adds.
In regional terms, and as in the previous month, registered unemployment fell in July across all regions, with the sharpest declines observed in the North (–13 %), Madeira (–8.5 %) and the Azores (–6 %).
In month-on-month terms, however, some regions saw increases, with the most significant rises recorded in the Alentejo (+2.9 %) and the Centre.
At the end of July, the number of unfilled job vacancies stood at 18,739 across employment services nationwide, representing a year-on-year decrease in vacancies on file (-275; -1.4%) but an increase compared with the previous month (+737; +4.1%).
JMF/ADB // ADB.
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