Franco Parisi proposes economic measures to combat rising Chilean unemployment

Franco Parisi, Secretary General of the Partido de la Gente (PDG), has warned that unemployment in Chile is likely to worsen. This warning follows data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) showing a national unemployment rate of 9.6% for the June-August 2026 quarter.

Parisi, an economist, proposed freezing the increase in pension contributions established by the latest reform until the unemployment rate falls below 7%. He suggested that reverting these increases to June 2026 levels could provide approximately US$200 million to the national budget, which could fund the Universal Nursery program.

Additionally, Parisi proposed evaluating economic support mechanisms for those facing long-term unemployment, such as an “autoploan” for individuals who have been without work for more than nine months and are in critical economic conditions. He noted that global climate issues could further impact sectors such as tourism, salmon farming, agriculture, and construction.