The unemployment rate stood at 7.8%, up 2.2 percentage points (pp) from the previous quarter and up 1.7 pp from a year earlier.
The unemployed population, estimated at 404.1 thousand people, has increased by 45.1% (125.7 thousand) from the previous quarter, which corresponds to the highest quarterly rate of change of the data series started in 2011, and by 24.9% (80.7 thousand) from the 3rd quarter of 2019.
The employed population, 4,799.9 thousand people, has increased by 1.5% (68.7 thousand) from the previous quarter, but has decreased by 3.0% (147.9 thousand) from the year before. At the same time, the employed population absent from work in the reference week has decreased by 24.4% (263.3 thousand) from the previous quarter and has increased by 6.5% (49.4 thousand) from the 3rd quarter of 2019. Similarly, the volume of hours actually per week worked has quarterly increased by 17.4%, while having decreased by 7.2% from a year earlier.
The labour underutilisation was estimated at 813.7 thousand people, having increased by 8.7% (65.0 thousand) from the previous quarter and by 21.9% (146.0 thousand) from the previous year. The labour underutilisation rate stood at 14.9% and has increased by 0.9 pp from the previous quarter and by 2.7 pp from a year earlier. The increase in the labour underutilisation was mainly explained by the increase in unemployment.
The inactive population aged 15 and over (3,700.9 thousand people) has decreased by 4.8% (185.8 thousand) from the previous quarter and has increased by 3.0% (108.5 thousand) from the 3rd quarter of 2019. The quarterly decrease corresponds to the highest absolute quarterly change ever observed in a 3rd quarter of the data series started in 2011. The transition from inactivity to unemployment reflected the easing of mobility and social contact restrictions existent in the 2nd quarter due to the pandemic, allowing for a greater easiness in active labour search and availability to work, two criteria whose compliance is needed to be classified as unemployed.
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 13).
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.