“Of the total number of unemployed individuals who are married or in a civil partnership, 8,362 (7.9%) also have a spouse registered as unemployed with the employment service, totalling 4,181 unemployed couples in July 2026. This represents a 10.2% decrease compared to the same period the previous year,” states the report from the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP).

In month-on-month terms, however, the number of couples with both partners unemployed remained stable, following a consecutive decline since February.

For several years, couples facing dual unemployment have been entitled to a 10% increase in their unemployment benefit payment if they have dependents.

The IEFP also reported that the number of registered unemployed individuals in mainland employment services stood at 260,408 at the end of July; this represents an 8.1% year-on-year decrease but a 1.8% increase compared to the previous month.