So-called educated unemployment is rising today in Chile among people with completed university or technical-professional training, an academic study revealed.

In 2010, only 21.7% of the labor force had graduated from a higher education institution, a share that climbed to 42.1 out of every 100 by 2026, according to a report by the Economic Context Observatory of Diego Portales University (OCEC-UDP).

That means more qualified workers and higher productivity potential, but it does not mean greater chances of landing a job.

The National Institute of Statistics reported that in the June-August mobile quarter, the open unemployment rate reached 9.6%, with 44 consecutive months above eight percentage points.

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Among those who completed university or successfully completed technical-professional training, unemployment is also a serious problem, the OCEC-UDP said. It rose one point in the last 12 months to 8.3%. That implies 40,938 fewer jobs and a total of 356,286.

Women with higher education fare worst, with lack of work affecting 8.7 of every 100, compared with 7.8 for men, the OCEC-UDP said. By age group, educated unemployment is higher among those under 30, it said.

Chile es el país con la tasa de desempleo más alta de la región, según indican diversas publicaciones; y, si se analizan los países de la OCDE, el segundo. En nuestra región de Los Ríos la situación es alarmante, especialmente en jóvenes y mujeres. No se ve ningún proyecto nuevo… pic.twitter.com/dox1io85lC

— Iván Flores García (@ifloressenador) October 11, 2026

Another facet: many higher education graduates who appear employed are actually doing work below their preparation, according to OCEC-UDP. Qualification underemployment occurs when a person performs a task below their preparation and therefore generates added value lower than their potential.

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