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Unemployment Benefits in Uruguay

Private-sector workers who are dismissed get unemployment pay (subsidio por desempleo) from the BPS for six months, at a percentage of their past pay that falls from 66% to 40%.

✓ From official pages   ✓ Each part says when we checked

At a glance

Unemployment subsidy for dismissal (Subsidio por desempleo por despido)

Banco de Previsión Social (BPS)

0800 1997

BPS, from a landline (*1997 from a mobile, +598 1997 0000 from abroad), Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00

Apply on the official site

The job market in Uruguay

6.9%
unemployed, June 2026
21.4%
of 15 to 24-year-olds
7.3%
a year earlier: it has fallen

The International Labour Organization's estimates put Uruguay 130th lowest of 183 countries for unemployment in 2025; the world's rate was 4.9%.

Uruguay's unemployment rate over the years · every country, ranked

What to do first

  1. Apply for Unemployment subsidy for dismissal (Subsidio por desempleo por despido): request it through BPS online services within 30 calendar days of leaving, or at a BPS office within the same period. Official page
  2. Keep up with the job-search rule while you claim (below), and keep a record of where you applied.
  3. Questions: call 0800 1997 (BPS, from a landline (*1997 from a mobile, +598 1997 0000 from abroad), Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00).

Unemployment subsidy for dismissal (Subsidio por desempleo por despido)

Who can get it. Monthly-paid employees with 180 days on the payroll in the 12 months before the dismissal (other rules for day workers).

How much. A falling percentage of average pay: 66% in month 1 (cap $ 93.155 in 2026) down to 40% in month 6 (cap $ 50.802).

For how long. Six months of subsidy or 72 day-wages, depending on how pay was set; six more months or 54 day-wages for people over 50.

How to claim. Request it through BPS online services within 30 calendar days of leaving, or at a BPS office within the same period.

From an official page, read October 25, 2026.

Looking for work while you claim

The unemployment subsidy stops if the person refuses a suitable job without legitimate cause. For a dismissal, it also stops if, after half the benefit period, the worker fails without justification to attend the training or retraining courses run under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

  • Apply within 30 days of the cause arising
  • Accept suitable work
  • Attend training or retraining courses when assigned (dismissal cases)

From an official page, read October 25, 2026.

Keep my work search record for Uruguay

Free. It lists where you applied and what else you did to look for work, each line ready to copy into the form you report on. It is your own record: we send nothing to any government.

Who to call

BPS, from a landline (*1997 from a mobile, +598 1997 0000 from abroad), Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00: 0800 1997.

From an official page, read October 25, 2026.

Questions

Is there unemployment benefit in Uruguay?

Yes: Unemployment subsidy for dismissal (Subsidio por desempleo por despido), paid by Banco de Previsión Social (BPS).

How much is unemployment benefit in Uruguay?

A falling percentage of average pay: 66% in month 1 (cap $ 93.155 in 2026) down to 40% in month 6 (cap $ 50.802).

How long does unemployment benefit last in Uruguay?

Six months of subsidy or 72 day-wages, depending on how pay was set; six more months or 54 day-wages for people over 50.

How do I claim unemployment benefit in Uruguay?

Request it through BPS online services within 30 calendar days of leaving, or at a BPS office within the same period.

Do I have to look for work while I claim in Uruguay?

The unemployment subsidy stops if the person refuses a suitable job without legitimate cause. For a dismissal, it also stops if, after half the benefit period, the worker fails without justification to attend the training or retraining courses run under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

Who do I call about unemployment in Uruguay?

BPS, from a landline (*1997 from a mobile, +598 1997 0000 from abroad), Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00: 0800 1997.

Nearby countries

ArgentinaBoliviaBrazilChileColombiaEcuadorFrench GuianaGuyanaParaguayPeruSuriname

Where this comes from

Every part of this page was read on an official website, and each links the page it came from and the day we checked it. Rules and amounts change, so check that page before you rely on a figure. Jobareer is not part of any government and cannot see or change a claim.

See also: unemployment rate by country · Uruguay's unemployment rate · unemployment in the US, state by state.