Registered unemployment fell by 11.8% and became the record for December in 30 years.

The number of unemployed people registered in job centers fell by 11.8% in December year on year to 307,005, the lowest figure this month in 30 years, the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Protection said on Monday.

Compared to December 2019, the pre-pandemic period, the decrease was 1.1% (-3,477 people), and between November and December 2022, the unemployed became 10,282 people (+3.5%) more, according to the guardianship based on data from the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP).

“2022 was the best year overall in terms of registered unemployment, marking systematically lower values ​​since March 2022 than those in 2019,” the ministry notes.

As he adds, “in terms of reported youth unemployment, 2022 was also the best year overall, with values ​​systematically lower than those in 2019, except for January and June.”

According to the IEFP, the 307,005 unemployed people registered with the employment offices of the mainland and autonomous regions in December 2022 represent 65.6% of the total 468,064 job applications.

In the last month of 2022, 44,019 unemployed people were registered with employment services across the country, which is higher than in the same month of 2021 (+4,545; +11.5%) and lower than in November (-10 329; -19.0%). ).

According to the Institute, “in absolute terms, groups of people aged 25 and over (-37,223), those who are looking for a new job (-37,976) and those who file application for 12 months or more (-49 351)”.

As for youth unemployment (persons under 25), according to the data of the guardianship authorities, “in December 2022 it was the lowest, in that month, since there is a record, a chain decrease of -1.6% (-540 young people) and a decrease of -10.3% compared to December 2021 (-3,731 youths).”

Thus, in December, 32,426 young people were unemployed, which is 0.5% lower than in December 2019 (-154 young people), youth unemployment is 10.6% of registered unemployment compared to 11.0% registered in the same month of 2021.

At the regional level, in the month of December, the unemployment registered in the country decreased year on year in all regions, especially in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (-31.0%) and in the Lisbon and Vail region. to Tagus (-14.8%).

Compared to the previous month, almost all regions (except Madeira, -0.3%) showed an increase in unemployment, with the largest change in the Algarve (+22.0%).

At the sectoral level, a decrease compared to last year was recorded in all types of economic activity, with the most significant fluctuations noted in descending order in the “tanning industry and the production of leather goods” (-23.1%), “production of oil, chemical, pharmaceutical, rubber and plastic products” (-20.0%) and “paper, printing and reproduction industry” (-18.9%).

In December, 121,723 unemployed were in this position for more than a year (long-term unemployment), which is 0.3% more than in November 2022 (+321 people), but lower (-2.6%) than the level observed in the same month of 2019. (-3252 people) and December 2021 (-28.8%; -49351).

The number registered less than a year ago was 185,282, with an increase of 5.7% (+9961) and 4.7% year-on-year (+8397).

The most representative occupational groups of unemployed registered on the mainland in December were “unskilled workers” (27.0%), “household service, security and sales workers” (20.4%), “administrative personnel” (11.4%) and “specialists in intellectual and scientific activity” (10.4%).

In terms of unsatisfied job offers, at the end of December 2022, there were 11,431 people in employment services across the country, which corresponds to an annual decrease (-4,510; -28.3%) and compared to the previous month (-4,503; – 28.3%). %) of sentences in the file.

Job offers received in December were 6,786 nationally, down 2,284 from the same month (-25.2%) and in 1975 from the previous month (-22.5%).

The economic activity with the highest expression in job offers received during that month (in which case the IEFP only considers data pertaining to the mainland region) included “real estate, administrative and support services activities” (15.7%), ” wholesale and retail trade”. (15.4%) and “public administration, education, healthcare and social support” (11.5%).

There were 5506 placements made in December across the country, which is less than in the same period in 2021 (-764; -12.2%) and in the previous month (-886; -13.9%).

An analysis of employment by occupational groups (mainland data) shows a large concentration among “household services, safety and security workers and sales assistants” (21.2%), “unskilled workers” (20.7%) and “specialists in intellectual and scientific activities” (12.9%).