Job centres see registered unemployed fall 17.8% in October YoY

  • Lusa
  • 21 November 2022

In October, there were 123,000 long-term unemployed, a decrease of 2.6% (-3,310 people) compared to September and are now 30.3% below the level recorded in October 2021 (-53,373 people).

The number of unemployed registered at job centres in Portugal increased by 0.7% in October compared to September, to 289,125, but was 17.8% lower than in October last year, the IEFP said on Monday.

According to data released by the Institute of Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP), in October there were 1,885 more unemployed registered than in the previous month and 62,542 less than in October 2021.

Throughout the month of October, 50,580 unemployed registered with employment services across the country, 6,412 more (+14.5%) than in the same month of 2021, but 7,088 less (-12.3%) than in September.

According to the institute, “for the reduction in registered unemployment, compared to the same month in 2021, in absolute terms, the groups of individuals seeking new jobs (-58,142), those aged 25 or over (-55,523) and those registered for 12 months or more (-53,373) contributed the most.

As for youth unemployment (people under the age of 25), there was a 4.5% increase in October (+1,415 young people) and a 17.7% reduction (-7,019 young people) in comparison to the same period the previous year.

At the regional level, in October, unemployment recorded in the country, in homologous terms, decreased in all the regions, especially in the autonomous region of Madeira (-35.4%) and the Algarve region (-35.2%).

In relation to the previous month, the regions were divided between decreases (three) and increases (four) in unemployment, with the largest variation in the Algarve region (+20.7%).

At the sectoral level, year-on-year decreases were recorded in all economic activities, with the most significant variations occurring, in descending order, in ‘leather and leather products industry’ (-32.6%), ‘accommodation, restaurants and similar’ (-28.1%) and ‘manufacture of motor vehicles, components and other transport equipment’ (-27.2%).

In October, there were 123,000 long-term unemployed, a decrease of 2.6% (-3,310 people) compared to September and are now 30.3% below the level recorded in October 2021 (-53,373 people).

Those registered for less than a year totaled 166,125, with a rise of 3.2% (+5,195) and a year-on-year fall of 5.2% (-9,169).

The most representative professional groups of unemployed registered in mainland Portugal were, in October, ‘unskilled workers’ (25.9%), ‘workers in personal services, security protection and sales workers’ (20.0%), ‘specialists in intellectual and scientific activities’ (11.7%) and ‘administrative staff’ (11.6%).

As for the unmet job offers, at the end of October there were a total of 17,540, in the employment services all over the country, which corresponds to a year-on-year decrease (-6,066; -25.7%) and compared to the previous month (-1,531; -8.0%) of the offers on file.

Job offers received in October totalled 9,529 in the whole country, which is 3,360 less than the number received in the same month of 2021 (-26.1%) and 2,785 less than the previous month of 2021 (-22.6%).

The economic activities with the greatest number of job offers received this month (in which case, the IEFP only considers data relating to mainland Portugal) were ‘real estate activities and support services’ (17.7%), ‘wholesale and retail trade’ (14.1%) and ‘public administration, education, health activities and social support’ (10.6%).

The placements carried out during the month of October totalled 6,756 in the whole country, a number inferior to that verified in the same period of 2021 (-1,256; -15.7%) and to the previous month (-2,269; -25.1%).

The analysis of the placements made, by groups of professions (data for mainland Portugal), shows a higher concentration in ‘unskilled workers’ (28.2%), in ‘workers in personal services, protection and security and sales workers’ (18.8%) and in ‘administrative staff’ (12.0%).