Chile Has Lost 1,8 Million Jobs in One Year; Unemployment Reaches 12 Percent

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Chilean government has begun to gradually lift restrictions in the country in an attempt to reactivate the economy, given a drop in new cases with 1,556 (the lowest rate in three months), though areas with a high level of new cases remain under quarantine.

According to the latest study published by the Catholic University of Chile, in one year 1.8 million jobs have been lost (between the civil unrest and the pandemic), and unemployment has reached an historical rate of 12% from March to date.

COVID-19 has left almost 100,000 refugees and migrants without work. The employment rate of Chileans decreased by 20%, for Peruvians and Colombians were 22.9% and 35% respectively; however, the employment rate in Venezuelans increased by 15%.

Regarding the new migration bill, President Sebastián Piñera assured that he will “veto” the indications proposed by the opposition if adopted by the Congress.

The most controversial measures are the following two: the creation of a new category for those seeking job opportunities in the country after having entered as tourists and the implementation of an extraordinary regularization for those who have pending applications or have irregular migratory status, allowing them to request a temporary residence visa, without being administratively sanctioned, within a period of 90 days from the entry into force of the law.