FX.co ★ Uruguay’s Unemployment Rises in January 2026

Uruguay’s unemployment rate rose to 7.4% in January 2026, up from 7.0% in December, reaching its highest level since May 2025. Joblessness was slightly lower in Montevideo (7.3%) than in the rest of the country (7.5%). By gender, the unemployment rate was 5.9% for men and 9.2% for women. By age group, unemployment remained particularly high among those aged 14–24, at 25.6%, while it was lowest among workers aged 65 and over, at 3%. Among those employed, 8.2% were underemployed, and 20% were not registered with social security in their main job. Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate inched up to 64.6%, while the employment rate slipped slightly to 59.8%.