Employment in Spain reaches all-time high and unemployment falls significantly
The National Statistics Institute (INE) has published the data from the Labour Force Survey (EPA) for the second quarter of the year, and the results are encouraging for the Spanish economy. During this period, the number of employed persons experienced a notable increase of 603,900 people, reaching a record 21,056,700 workers. This increase was mainly driven by the services sector, which led with a growth of 606,000 employed, followed by construction with 60,900 and agriculture with 1,500.
The unemployment rate, on the other hand, recorded a significant decrease of 11.6 %, which represents a decrease of 1.67 points compared to the previous quarter. This unemployment rate is the lowest in the last 15 years, standing at levels similar to those of 2008, a milestone in the recovery of the labour market.
In terms of gender, both men and women benefited from the increase in employment, with 332,200 men and 271,800 women finding work in this quarter. Notably, the number of employed women reached an all-time high, with 1,485,000 women working in different sectors of the economy.
In terms of contract types, the number of employees with permanent contracts grew by 410,100, reaching a record high of 14.7 million. On the other hand, workers with temporary contracts also experienced an increase, with 95,400 more people in this type of employment.
Unemployment declined in all sectors
Especially in services and construction, with decreases of 208,600 and 23,000 persons, respectively. In addition, both men and women saw a reduction in the number of unemployed, with 152,000 men and 213,300 women finding employment.
In regional terms, all autonomous communities experienced a decrease in unemployment, with Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Madrid showing the largest decreases in the number of unemployed.
In addition, an increase in the number of active people was observed during this quarter, with an all-time high of 23,819,200 people, which represents an increase of 238,600 active people. The activity rate also rose to 58.97 %, increasing by three 42 hundredths of a percentage point.
In short, these figures reflect the strength and dynamism of the Spanish economy, which translates into an increase in employment and a decrease in unemployment. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has stressed that these data are a positive reflection that benefits both families and companies, and it is expected that this positive trend will continue in the future.
