Number of couples where both are unemployed up 17.5% in August YoY

  • Lusa
  • 20 September 2021

The number of couples in which both spouses are registered as unemployed was, at the end of August 2021, 6,456, or 17.5% more (960 more couples) than in the same month 2020.

The number of couples with both members registered in employment centres in Portugal rose 17.5% in August compared to the same month of 2020, to 6,456, according to data released on Monday by the Institute of Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP).

The number of couples in which both spouses are registered as unemployed was, at the end of August 2021, 6,456, or 17.5% more (960 more couples) than in the same month 2020 and 1.6% less (104 couples) compared to the previous month.

According to the IEFP, of the total number of unemployed who are married or living with a partner, 12,082 (8.4%) have also registered that their spouse is also registered as unemployed.

Couples in this situation of double unemployment are entitled to an increase of 10% of the amount of unemployment benefit they are receiving when they have dependents.

The IEFP began publishing statistical information about couples with both members unemployed in November 2010, when 2,862 such situations were recorded.

According to information also released on Monday by the IEFP, the number of unemployed registered at job centres fell in August by 10% year-on-year and by 0.1% compared to July.

At the end of August, 368,404 unemployed were registered in the Employment Services of Mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Regions, a number that represents 67.4% of a total of 546,633 job requests.

The total number of registered unemployed people in the country was lower than in the same month of 2020 (-40,927 people, equivalent to a drop of 10%) and also lower compared to the previous month (-300 unemployed, a drop of 0.1%).