In the 4th quarter of 2020
The unemployment rate stood at 7.1%, down 0.7 percentage points (pp) from the previous quarter and up 0.4 pp from a year earlier.
The employed population, 4,859.5 thousand people, has increased by 1.2% (59.6 thousand) from the previous quarter, but has decreased by 1.0% (48.1 thousand) from the year before. At the same time, the employed population absent from work in the reference week has decreased by 47.8% (396.1 thousand) from the previous quarter and has increased by 26.0% (89.4 thousand) from the 4th quarter of 2019. Similarly, the volume of hours actually per week worked has quarterly increased by 8.5%, while having decreased by 6.6% from a year earlier. The transition from unemployment to employment (30.4%) was the highest of the data series started in 2011.
The unemployed population, estimated at 373.2 thousand people, decreased by 7.7% (30.9 thousand) from the previous quarter and increased by 5.9% (20.8 thousand) from the 4th quarter of 2019.
The labour underutilisation was estimated at 750.3 thousand people, having decreased by 7.8% (63.4 thousand) from the previous quarter and increased by 10.7% (72.3 thousand) from the previous year. The labour underutilisation rate stood at 13.8% and it has also decreased from the previous quarter (1.1 pp) and increased from a year earlier (1.3 pp). This year-on-year increase was mainly explained by the increase in the number of inactive persons available to work, but not searching for job.
The inactive population aged 15 and over (3,687.3 thousand people) has decreased by 0.4% (13.6 thousand) from the previous quarter and has increased by 2.2% (78.7 thousand) from a year earlier.

In 2020
The unemployment rate stood at 6.8%, up 0.3 pp from 2019, while the labour underutilisation stood at 13.9%, up 1.2 pp from that year.
The employed population was estimated at 4,814.1 thousand people and has decreased by 2.0% (99.0 thousand) from the previous year. On the other hand, the unemployed population, 350.9 thousand people, has increased by 3.4% (11.4 thousand) from the same year.
The young people (aged 15 to 24) unemployment rate stood at 22.6%, 4.3 pp less than in the previous year, while the proportion of long-term unemployment was 39.5%, down 10.3 pp from 2019, which corresponded to the highest decrease of the data series.
Among the young people aged 15 to 34 residing in Portugal, 11.6% (255.2 thousand) were not in employment, in education or training, a share that has increased by 2.1 pp (45.1 thousand) from 2019.
The three Europe 2020 indicators – employment rate of those aged 20 to 64, early leavers from education and training rate, and tertiary educational attainment rate – were estimated at 74.7%, 8.9%, and 39.6% (76.1%, 10.6%, and 36.2% in 2019). Therefore, the first and the third indicators were slightly below their respective targets (75% or over and at least 40%, respectively), while the second surpassed the established target (less than 10%).

The information in this Press Release is influenced by the current situation determined by the pandemic COVID-19, either by the natural disturbance associated with the impact of the pandemic in obtaining primary information or by the behavioural changes resulting from the measures adopted to safeguard public health (for more, see page 17).

Despite the circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Statistics Portugal calls for best collaboration from enterprises, households and public bodies in responding to Statistics Portugal’s requests. The quality of official statistics, particularly their ability to identify the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, crucially depends on this collaboration for which Statistics Portugal thanks you for in advance.