In the second quarter of 2025

Unemployment rate in the Autonomous Region of Madeira was 4.8%

The results of the Labour Force Survey for the second quarter of 2025 indicate an unemployment rate in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ARM) of 4.8%, which represents a decrease of 0.4 percentage points (pp) compared to the same quarter of the previous year and 1.9 pp compared to the previous quarter. It should be noted that this unemployment rate is the lowest in the series that began in the 1^st quarter of 2011.

The active population amounted to 136.3 thousand persons, the same value as in the 1^st quarter of 2025, having increased by 2.0% compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

The employed population stood at 129.8 thousand persons, recording a year-on-year growth of 2.5% (+3.1 thousand persons) and by 2.0% compared to the previous quarter (+2.6 thousand persons). Of the employed population, 3.1 thousand were in part-time underemployment, 7.0 thousand had a secondary occupation, and 18.2 thousand worked from home (15.2% of employed women and 12.7% of employed men).

The estimate of the unemployed population, calculated at 6.5 thousand persons, decreased by 6.3% compared to the same quarter of the previous year and by 28.1% compared to the previous quarter.

The inactive population, estimated at 125.0 thousand persons, increased by 1.6% compared to the same quarter of the previous year and by 0.7% compared to the previous quarter.

The activity rate of the working-age population (16 to 89 years) in the second quarter of 2025 was estimated at 60.4%, which is 0.1 pp lower than the same quarter of the previous year and 0.2 pp lower than the prior quarter. The activity rate for women was 56.6%, which is 8.1 pp lower than that of the activity rate for men (64.7%).

In the quarter under review, the unemployment rate in Portugal was 5.9%, which is 0.7 pp lower than the previous quarter and 0.2 pp lower than the same quarter of the previous year. By regions, Peninsula de Setúbal reached 8.6%, the highest figure. Grande Lisboa and Norte had unemployment rates above the national average, at 6.5% and 6.1%, respectively. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Autonomous Region of the Azores (ARA) recorded the lowest unemployment rate, at 3.9%, followed by Algarve at 4.5%, the ARM and Oeste e Vale do Tejo, both at 4.8%, Alentejo at 4.9%, and Centro at 5.1%.

Most regions saw a decrease in the unemployment rate compared to the previous quarter, except for Peninsula de Setúbal, which registered an increase of 0.1 percentage points. Algarve and the ARM recorded the most significant drops, with 3.6 pp and 1.9 pp, respectively. This was followed by declines in the unemployment rate in the ARA (-1.8 pp), Oeste e Vale do Tejo (-1.1 pp), Alentejo (-0.9 pp), Norte (-0.7 pp), and Grande Lisboa (-0.3 pp). Centro remained unchanged.

Year-on-year, the ARA recorded the largest decrease (-1.6 pp) compared to the unemployment rate of the first quarter of 2024. Declines were also observed in Oeste e Vale do Tejo (-1.1 pp), in Algarve (-0.5 pp), in the ARM (-0.4 pp), in Alentejo (-0.3 pp), in Norte (-0.2 pp) and in Centro (-0.1 pp). In contrast, the trend was not uniform across all NUTS 2 regions, as Península de Setúbal (+0.6 pp) and Grande Lisboa (+0.1 pp) recorded increases.

For further information, please refer to:

• In Focus (Portuguese only)
• Publications (Portuguese only)
• Tables
• Short Series
• Long Series

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