Unemployment Rate

The Unemployment Rate released by Statistics Portugal is the number of unemployed workers divided by the total civilian labor force. It is a leading indicator for the Portuguese economy. If the rate is up, it indicates a lack of expansion within the labor market. As a result, a rise leads to weakening in the economy. Normally, a decrease in the figure is seen as positive (or bullish) for the EUR, while an increase is seen as negative (or bearish).