Portugal job market score up after unemployment hits a 15-year low

We raised Portugal's job market score from 7.5 to 7.8 on Country To Live. National statistics institute INE said second-quarter 2026 unemployment fell to 5.3%, the lowest reading since the series began in 2011, while employment hit a 15-year high.

This is a data call for people comparing countries on our site. It is not a guarantee you will land a local job, and it is not immigration advice.

Why we changed the score

• Unemployment is at a series low. Xinhua, citing INE, reported a 5.3% rate for April–June 2026, down 0.8 points from the prior quarter and 0.6 points from a year earlier.
• More people are in work. Employment reached about 5.4 million, up 99,000 from the previous quarter and 151,500 from Q2 2025, the highest level since early 2011.
• Fewer people are jobless in absolute terms. About 300,800 people were unemployed in the quarter, down 45,500 from the start of 2026.
• Remote work share is elevated. INE data in the same release put remote work at 21.3% of employment (nearly 1.2 million people), the highest share since late 2023. That matters for movers who keep foreign employers while living in Portugal.
• This is a labour print, not a visa change. Housing pressure and residency rules still sit in other score categories. We only moved the job market number.

What the number means on our site

Job market on Country To Live tracks how workable hiring looks for an international mover: unemployment pressure, employment depth, and whether local or remote work options feel open. A 7.8/10 keeps Portugal in a solid mid-to-high band for European comparers, a step better than the prior 7.5.

If Portugal is on your shortlist, open the Portugal country page, compare Portugal vs Spain or Germany vs Portugal, or run Portugal in the compare tool. Peers such as Spain and Ireland remain useful checks if you need English-heavy hiring. Browse all country scores to see where this raise lands Portugal in the wider list.

Before you plan a move

1. Separate remote-from-Portugal plans from local hire plans. A strong national print helps both, but local roles still depend on language, sector, and city.
2. Check Lisbon and Porto separately from smaller markets. National employment strength does not erase sector gaps outside the main hubs.
3. Pair this score with housing and residency pages. A better job market does not cancel rent pressure or permit rules.

We will update again if unemployment reverses for several quarters or if employment growth stalls.

This note explains our editorial scoring only. It is not legal or relocation advice.