Azores see monthly fall in registered unemployment as national total rises

Employment centres in the Azores had 3,690 registered unemployed people at the end of August 2026. The total was lower than both a year earlier and in July, according to figures from Portugal’s Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) reported in September.

There were 278 fewer people on the register than in August 2025, a fall of 7%. Compared with July 2026, the count declined by 41 people, or 1.1%. The regional decrease therefore appears in both the yearly and monthly comparisons.

Across Portugal, 273,723 unemployed people were registered at the end of August. That was 9.3% fewer than a year earlier, although the total rose by 4,623 people, or 1.7%, from July. The Azores moved in the opposite direction from the national total over the month.

Every region recorded a year-on-year fall in registered unemployment. The largest percentage declines were in the North, at 14.9%, Madeira, at 10.5%, and the Azores, at 7%. Nationally, August marked a second consecutive monthly increase after five months of decreases from February through June.

For the Azores, the figures show fewer people registered as seeking work under both comparisons. They measure unemployment recorded by employment services; on their own, they do not establish how many jobs were created or describe every aspect of the regional labour market.