Chile’s unemployment rate reached 9.6 percent in the June–August rolling quarter, 1 percentage point above a year earlier. Employment fell while the labour force expanded slightly. The September release also showed fewer formal salaried jobs and lower total hours worked, with unemployment higher among women than men. The seasonally adjusted rate rose from the preceding quarter.
Chile’s unemployment rate reached 9.6 percent in the June–August 2026 rolling quarter, up 1 percentage point from a year earlier. The National Statistics Institute released the results on September 30, as part of its National Employment Survey. The labour force grew 0.3 percent while employment fell 0.9 percent. The number unemployed increased 13 percent, including a 23.2 percent rise among people seeking their first job.[1], [2]
Unemployment stood at 10.3 percent for women and 9.1 percent for men. Women’s employment increased 0.2 percent alongside a 1.3 percent expansion in their labour force. Men’s employment fell 1.7 percent and their labour force contracted 0.5 percent. The labour-force participation rate was 61.5 percent and the employment rate was 55.6 percent. Employment declined in manufacturing, information and communications, and commerce, according to the institute’s sector breakdown. Manufacturing employment fell 7.6 percent.[1]
Formal salaried employment fell 2.9 percent from a year earlier. Informal employment accounted for 26.3 percent of all employment, up 0.3 percentage points. Total actual hours worked declined 2.4 percent, while average hours per worker fell 1.6 percent to 36.4. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.4 percent, 0.1 percentage points above the preceding rolling quarter. That comparison uses a different adjustment and reference period from the headline annual change.[1]
