Reflecting the worsening of mobility constraints in the context of Pandemic, the index of turnover in services accentuated its decrease, going from a nominal year-on-year change of -16.5% in January to -20.0% in February. In the last twelve months this services turnover had an average decrease of 18.8%.
The year-on-year change rates of the indices of employment, wages and salaries and number of hours worked adjusted of calendar effects were -9.5%, -8.3% and -25.0%, respectively (-8.5%, -7.6% and -16.5% in January, by the same order). The year-on-year reduction in employment was the most intense since January 2006 and since May 2020 since May of the previous year, the reduction in hours worked had not been so significant. In the last twelve months the average decrease of worked hours was 16.0%.

Despite the circumstances determined by the pandemic COVID-19, Statistics Portugal calls for the best collaboration by companies, families and public entities in responding to Statistics Portugal’s data requests. The quality of official statistics, particularly its ability to identify the impacts of the pandemic COVID-19, crucially depends on this collaboration, which Statistics Portugal thanks in advance.