MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Strong recovery of employment in most of Chile

The 7,5% figure is the seventh consecutive mobile quarter, (September-November), which has seen a systematic reduction in unemployment

Unemployment in Chile is down to 7,5%, the lowest since January 2020, according to the country's stats office INAE. The 7,5% figure is the seventh consecutive mobile quarter, (September-November), which has seen a systematic reduction in unemployment plus a simultaneous standing recovery of lost jobs, some 74,6% of the two million wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic.

The INAE report indicates that in eleven of Chilean Regions, unemployment in the September November quarter was down compared to the previous quarter, August October, while in three others unemployment increased and in another two it remained stabilized.

Sandra Quijada, head of INAE said that in the regions of Atacama, Valparaíso, Maule, BioBio, La Araucaria and metropolitan Santiago joblessness was down in “significant statistical” percentages. The highest unemployment was in the region of Coquimbo, two digits, followed by the Metropolitan region, 8,9%, Antofagasta, 8,7%, Tarapacá, 8,6% and O-Higgins 7.7%.

At the other end regions with th lowest unemployment were Los Lagos, 2,7%, Aysen, 3,4%, Arica and Parinacota, 5% and Magallanes, 5,5%. Jobs recovery was strongest in Metropolitan Santiago, Valparaíso, Biobío and Maule.

“Overall for this last mobile quarter, September November, the above mentioned regions provided 73% of recovered jobs at national level” explained Ms Quijada, particularly Antofagasta with 100,9%, Aysen, 100,4% and the metropolitan region 98,7%”