Chile's Aysén unemployment rises to 4.6% as government launches 800‑job infrastructure plan

Unemployment in Chile's Aysén Region increased by 0.7 percentage points in the April‑June quarter, reaching 4.6% overall, with female unemployment at 5.9% and male at 3.5%. Governor Marcelo Santana Vargas said the regional government will contribute about 225 billion pesos to the national "Modo Empleo" program, targeting roughly 800 direct jobs in the second half of the year through infrastructure projects such as road repavement in Foitzick‑La Chilenita, Las Antenas, Puerto Aysén, Puerto Ibáñez and El Blanco.

At the same time, the National Statistics Institute (INE) reported that informal employment in the Biobío Region rose to 28.3% in the same quarter, an increase of 3.1 percentage points year‑on‑year, bringing the number of informal workers to 201,997. The growth was driven mainly by commerce, hospitality and services, with self‑employed and private‑sector salaried workers contributing the most.

Both regions reflect broader labour market challenges in Chile, prompting coordinated central and regional efforts to create formal jobs while addressing a sizable informal sector.