Chilean Senate President urges increased spending to combat unemployment

Chilean Senate President Paulina Núñez has called on President José Antonio Kast’s administration to increase public spending to combat rising unemployment. This demand follows data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) showing an unemployment rate of 9.6% for the June-August 2026 quarter. Recent polling indicates a decline in the president's approval, which has fallen to 27%, while disapproval has reached 64%.

To address these economic challenges, the proposed 2027 National Budget allocates $9.53 trillion CLP, an 8.1% increase over 2026. The budget aims to stimulate economic activity and job creation through various initiatives, including the ‘Chile Despega’ plan and increased funding for Sercotec to support entrepreneurs. Additionally, the budget includes investments in infrastructure and housing, with a 5.8% increase for the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism to provide 166,233 subsidies nationwide.