Number of unemployment benefit beneficiaries increases

Official data released this Tuesday reveal that the number of unemployment benefit beneficiaries reached almost 134,000 in October. The number is an increase of almost 10,000 compared to October last year, but a decrease of just over 5,200 when compared to September.

According to the summary of the Strategy and Planning Office (GEP) of the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security, the number of beneficiaries of unemployment benefits in October was 133,980, an increase of 9,944 processed benefits (8%) compared to the same month of the previous year.

Comparing the data with September 2023, there is a decrease of 3.7%, with 5,209 fewer unemployment benefits registered.

An analysis of the totality of the various unemployment benefits (unemployment benefit and initial and subsequent social benefit), the number of beneficiaries was 170,446 in October, a decrease of 3.4% compared to September. Compared to the same period last year, there was an increase of 5.3%.

GEP data also shows that the average value of unemployment benefits was 588.79 euros in October. Unemployment benefits were mostly claimed by women (58.6%), corresponding to 99,843 beneficiaries and 70,623 beneficiaries (41.4%).