2026.04.2910:41:47UTC+00Portugal Unemployment Holds at 5.8% in March

Portugal’s unemployment rate held steady at 5.8% in March 2026, remaining just above the record lows reached in late 2025. A persistent gender gap continued to characterize the labor market, with unemployment among women at 6.3% compared with 5.3% for men. The adult unemployment rate edged up to 5.0%, from 4.7% recorded between November 2025 and January 2026, while youth unemployment fell to 18.1%, its lowest level since October 2022. The total number of unemployed increased by 2,400 to 328,400, even as employment rose by 4,900 to 5.30 million. Both the employment rate (65.7%) and the labor force participation rate (69.8%) were unchanged. The broader labor underutilization rate—which encompasses the unemployed, marginally attached workers, and underemployed part-time workers—stood at 9.8%.