In relation to the previous month, there was a reduction of 2,237 beneficiaries in March, but, compared to the same month of the previous year, there was an increase of 16,252 beneficiaries, according to the summary of the Strategy and Planning Office (GEP) of the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security.
Unemployment benefits are mostly claimed by women, corresponding to 110,657 beneficiaries (56.6% of the total).
Taking only unemployment benefit into account, the number of beneficiaries totalled 153,208, a reduction of 1% overall, but an increase of 12.4% compared to the same month of the previous year.
The average monthly unemployment benefit in March was 641 euros, corresponding to a year-on-year increase of 4.2%.
In the case of the initial social unemployment benefit, this benefit was processed to 11,294 beneficiaries, 6.1% less than in February and 13.5% more compared to March 2023.
The subsequent social unemployment benefit covered 22,197 beneficiaries, a decrease of 0.8% in monthly terms and 10.7% year-on-year.
I wonder how many of these recipients are free loading, non Portuguese people that just heard about how generous our government is to everyone...bar our own people?
These people arrive here and are offered free homes, free clothing, free food (and by "free" , I mean at a cost to the Taxpayer) while those that are originally from Portugal/born here are skipped in this process?
The country doesn't even have enough money to look after it's own and now they're gifting these funds to those that aren't even from here.
Better still, the president has now found a magical pot of gold that he will be dolling out money to those ex Portuguese colonies.
You've got to love these Socialists who don't understand that somewhere, somehow, someone HAS to pay for all these things and it's usually those who don't vote for them because they know how flawed their system is.
By Michael from Lisbon on 30 Apr 2024, 06:44
Dear Michael,
Please check the numbers from your own government as 97% of the Unemployment Benefit receivers are Portuguese people and as per the results last year foreigners paid Euro 1.6 billion in Social Security and got only Euro 267,000 as benefit kindly read the article below
https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2023-12-19/immigrants-contribute-over-16-billion/84309
By Muhammad Rizwan from Other on 30 Apr 2024, 11:38
I am sad to see Michael's comment as it seems a reflection of the way the world is sliding. Right wing national politics of " me first " is starting to dominate here in Europe and is very short sighted in my opinion. We have to remember that there are thousands of portuguese people around the world that sometimes have to rely on the social benefits of their host country. Spreading malicious and unfounded gossip about those in dire situations helps no one and can result in retaliating legislation from other countries.
By Howard Delaney Brownlow from Algarve on 30 Apr 2024, 15:19
Dear Muhammad and Howard
Please do tell me where you found the money tree that you can pick these fresh Euro note from, free of any cost and effort to anyone.
Because the last time I checked, SOMEONE has to work in order for TAX money to be raised in order for these funds to be dolled out.
NO money (or anything else for that matter) in this world is FREE.
YES, we should have social programmes to help those in NEED, who are UNABLE (key word here), to help themselves. If you are able, what is your excuse?
NO, they should not be without limitations, otherwise you will find that those funds will very quickly run out as there are only so many tax payers that keep the the lights on at the end of the day. Portugal, however, seems to be dishing out like it has an endless supply of cash on tap.
And Muhammad, I wasn't referring to those that are contributing BACK into the system. I refer to those that rock up, consume resources that should be allocated to those that legally belong here and move on without adding a dime to the economy. Or would you be ok if I just pitched up at your house during dinner time as a stranger, insisted that you take the food from your kids mouths in order to feed me instead and left without contributing anything in return? That's pretty much what we're seeing in Portugal at the moment.
By Michael from Lisbon on 02 May 2024, 05:58