This position was conveyed by Mariana Vieira da Silva in a press conference, at the end of the Council of Ministers meeting, after being compared with the most recent estimates from the National Statistics Institute (INE) on the evolution of employment in Portugal.

According to INE's provisional estimates published today, the unemployment rate increased in Portugal to 6.5% in September, 0.4 percentage points above the same month in 2022 and 0.1 percentage points more than in August.

Asked whether the country is facing the possibility of an increase in unemployment over the next year, compromising the Government's budgetary targets, the holder of the Presidency's portfolio dismissed this scenario.

“Naturally, the Government permanently monitors the evolution of employment figures and our economy. It should be noted that we continue to face very high numbers, with an unparalleled employment rate in recent years”, replied Mariana Vieira da Silva.

According to the most recent data from INE, in September 2023 the unemployment rate stood at 6.5%, equal to the value of April 2023, and the inactivity rate (31.2%) registered the highest value low in the series”, highlights the Statistical Institute.

This data also presents definitive estimates for last August, revising the unemployment rate for that month upwards to 6.4%, compared to the 6.2% initially predicted.