Actually, the Algarve was the only region in Portugal to register positive results precisely because of the seasonal cycle that sees the creation of a large number of temp jobs directly connected to the tourism sector.

According to data from the Institute of Employment and Professional Training – IEFP – the month of July saw 25,928 unemployed individuals in the region, representing a 6.9% and a 1.4% drop when compared to June 2013 and July 2012.

The region is enjoying an overall tourism boom this summer season with information from the Association of Hotels and Resorts of the Algarve – AHETA – reporting occupancy rate per room in July was 81,6% which means a 3.7% increase when compared with the same month in 2012.

The data from the IEFT also shows a large increase in the number of individuals searching for their first job. These individuals number 58,722 now, indicating a 17.5% and 2.9% hike when compared with the same period in 2012 and June this year, respectively.

When it comes to those individuals who have lost their jobs in the past year and are now looking for work, there’s been a 4% increase in July compared to 2012, but a 0.6% decrease in relation to June. These individuals make up 629,377 of the jobless population.

The bane of the population still continues to be long-term unemployment. The data from this point is not very optimistic, recording a 1.1% increase in July compared to June and a 27.1% rise when compared to July of 2012. Long-term unemployment means being out of a job for more than 12 months and almost half the people signed up at job centres are affected by it.

Overall the country’s unemployment rate was down to 16.4% in the second quarter of 2013, from 17.5% in the first quarter.