Official unemployment figures for Portugal show that the level tapered off to 12.4% in June this year.
This is against a figure of 14.3% in June 2014 and against a backdrop average of 11.1% for the whole eurozone.
As a result, Portugal finally is moving down the league of countries with high rates of joblessness. Whereas not long ago it had the third highest rate, now it is in fifth position after Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Italy.
The greatest drops in the euro area compared to last year were in Spain (24.5% to 22.5%) and Portugal (14.3% to 12.4%).
Despite the improvement, some 636,000 Portuguese were registered as without jobs.
At the same time, increased levels were marked in Belgium, Italy, Austria and Finland.
Lowest rates were in Germany, Czech Republic, Malta and the UK.
Portuguese youth fared a little better, although the rate remains stubbornly above 30%.
In June 2014, 35.3% of people between 16 and 24 had no jobs. This fell to 31.6% in June one year later.
As a result, 113,000 young adults were on the unemployment register.
Lies, damn lies, and statistics:
Meanwhile, workers at Portugal’s National Statistics Institute (INE) are complaining of the "political exploitation" of its published unemployment data.
The INE’s workers’ committee openly has criticised statements by politicians that have challenged the credibility of the Institute and have made political capital by employing an ‘abusive interpretation’ of the data because of the approaching elections.
The INE workers today reminded the government that the Institute is independent of political interference and that the initial monthly unemployment statistics may be provisional but are "produced according to a strictly defined model based on consistent methodologies and validated internationally."
The government may disagree with the figures but calling the Institute in to question for doing its job is a low trick and one that the workers now wish to expose.
The statement from Workers Committee of the Institute reads that its members regret that there is "political exploitation" of the work done by the Institute which has called into question the credibility of the INE and "the expertise and professionalism of those working in the institution."
Workers end their statement by warning of "a strong likelihood that abusive interpretations of information are repeated, considering in particular the approaching elections," and emphasised that their production of employment statistics is not made "in party interests, not is it conditioned by political calendars."
