Chile's unemployment surge prompts emergency response, women hit hardest

Chile's unemployment rate rose to 9.1% in the February‑April 2026 quarter, reaching 10.5% among women, according to INE data. The government has labeled the situation an “emergency labor” and convened a nine‑member Labor Reactivation Table to devise measures aimed at lowering unemployment to 6% by year‑end.

In Valparaíso, female unemployment climbed to 11.3%, while male unemployment was 9.5%. Drago Radovic, director of the PUCV Labor Observatory, warned that the rise reflects not only increased female labor participation but also insufficient job creation. He called for policies that translate women's willingness to work into formal, sustainable employment. Sectors such as services, hospitality and communications showed modest job growth, and informal employment fell to 28.9%.