Spain adds 128,500 jobs in June, driven by migrant regularization, pushing employment to record high
Spain's Social Security affiliation reached an all-time high of 22.47 million in June, with 128,500 new jobs added, two-thirds of them filled by foreign workers amid an ongoing regularization drive.
Record affiliation
Spain's Social Security system registered 22.47 million affiliates in June, the highest level in the historical series. The monthly increase of 128,533 jobs (rounded to 128,500 in some reports) is the strongest June since at least 2005, excluding the pandemic rebound of 2021. The daily peak reached 22.57 million on 18 June. Over the past year, affiliation has grown by around 605,200, a 2.8% interannual rate.
Foreign workers drive growth
Foreign nationals accounted for 86,630 of the new jobs, or 67% of the total. That is more than triple the 25,200 foreign hires in June 2025. The total number of foreign affiliates now stands at 3.44 million, representing 15.3% of the workforce. The increase coincides with a government regularization process launched in March-April.
- 2023
- 54500 affiliates
- 2024
- 71100 affiliates
- 2025
- 76700 affiliates
- 2026
- 128500 affiliates
Unemployment at 16-year low
Registered unemployment fell by 28,739 people to 2.29 million, the first time below 2.3 million since January 2008. The decline was smaller than the 48,900 drop a year earlier, but the overall trend remains positive. The labour market has shed 113,981 unemployed over the last twelve months.
Government's regularization policy
The regularization of migrants, which began in April, has brought previously informal work into the official system. Yolanda Díaz, Second Vice President and Minister of Labour, linked the record to the policy:
She also noted that women's employment rose by almost 300,000 in the past year, with 10.6 million women now working.This record coincides with the regularization process we are carrying out, which has allowed a lot of employment to surface that is now gaining rights and contributing to the increase in affiliation.
EU context
Elma Saiz, Minister of Social Security, highlighted Spain's role in European employment growth:
The summer tourism season typically boosts June figures, but this year's increase far exceeds the usual seasonal pattern.Spain has contributed 54.5% of the employment created in the European Union.
- June 2025
- 25200 affiliates
- June 2026
- 86600 affiliates
