The unemployment rate in the Biobío Region reached 9.8% during the moving quarter March-May 2026, registering an increase of 0.8 percentage points compared to the same period last year. The rise is due to the labor force growing at a faster rate than the generation of new jobs, a situation that left 77,737 people without work in the region.
According to the Employment Bulletin of the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the labor force increased by 1.1% in twelve months, while the number of employed persons only grew by 0.2%, equivalent to 1,448 new jobs. In parallel, the number of unemployed persons increased by 10.1%, that is, 7,146 more people than a year ago.
One of the most relevant aspects of the report is the strong growth of informal employment. The labor informality rate reached 28.1%, 2.8 percentage points higher than in the same quarter of 2025, while the number of informal workers increased by 11.5%, incorporating 20,847 people into this condition.
Trade and professional activities drive employment
Although employment growth was moderate, it was mainly driven by the trade sector, with an increase of 7.5%, and professional, scientific, and technical activities, which grew by 21.1% compared to the previous year. In contrast, the largest declines were observed in education (-7.3%) and public administration (-9.5%).
From the perspective of occupational category, the increase in employment was mainly explained by the rise in self-employed workers (18.5%) and informal salaried workers (8.0%). Conversely, formal salaried workers (-5.9%) and employers (-6.0%) decreased, reflecting a labor market composition with a greater weight of independent and informal employment.
Women maintain a higher unemployment rate
The report shows that women continue to face greater difficulties in accessing the labor market. The female unemployment rate reached 11.3%, far exceeding the 8.5% recorded among men. Furthermore, female labor participation increased to 48.2%, while their employment rate remained stable at 42.7%.
In the case of men, unemployment also increased, driven by a decrease in employed persons and a slight growth in the labor force.
By age group, the segment between 15 and 34 years was the only one that registered a decline in employment, with a decrease of 8.7%. In contrast, people aged 55 and over showed the largest growth, with an increase of 7.7%, being the group that contributed the most to the expansion of regional employment.
Pressure on the labor market increases
Another indicator that showed deterioration was the labor pressure rate, which considers both those who are unemployed and those who are employed but looking to change jobs. This indicator reached 18.3%, 3.1 percentage points above that recorded a year ago.
The report also reveals that 66,115 employed persons are looking for a new job, a figure representing an interannual increase of 44.3%, reflecting a rise in labor uncertainty in the region.
Biobío among the regions with the greatest increase in informality
In the national context, Biobío ranked among the regions with the highest growth in informal employment, with an increase of 11.5%, only behind Antofagasta and Coquimbo. The regional unemployment rate remained above the national average of 9.4%, standing at 9.8%.
The figures reflect a labor scenario that continues to show difficulties in generating sufficient formal employment, where the growth of independent and informal work has partially sustained employment, but without preventing the increase in unemployment and pressure on the regional labor market.
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Leave a comment