Spain's unemployment rises by 43,128 in October as Social Security affiliation hits record 22.6 million

Unemployment climbs in October

The Ministry of Labour and Social Economy reported on Wednesday, 4 November, that registered unemployment rose by 43,128 people in October compared with September, an increase of 1.8%. The total reached 2,422,633, which the ministry described as the lowest October level since 2007. Services accounted for most of the rise, adding 26,853 unemployed (+1.58%) as the summer tourist season ended. Industry added 1,911 people, agriculture 1,547 and construction 102. Registrations of people with no previous job rose by 12,715, or 4.9%, and this group is mostly young people looking for their first job. The increase was slightly larger for women, with 22,700 more women registered as unemployed against 20,428 more men. Over the past year the total fell by 21,133, or 0.86%.

Services26,853

Industry1,911

Agriculture1,547

Construction102

Services

26853 unemployed

Industry

1911 unemployed

Agriculture

1547 unemployed

Construction

102 unemployed

Data from the article text

Affiliation hits a record as foreign workers drive growth

Social Security affiliation rose by an average of 186,612 workers in October, a gain of 0.83% on September, according to the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. The average total reached a record 22,624,165, and the system has added 784,573 affiliates over the past twelve months, a rise of 3.59%. Education was the strongest sector, with more than 165,000 new affiliates linked to the start of the school year, while hospitality lost 44,974 and health and social services lost 28,639. The ministry data show that 490,586 affiliates on the books as of 30 October came through the extraordinary regularisation of immigrants.

Minister Elma Saiz welcomed the figures and said:

“October leaves us with historic employment growth, as we see in the seasonally adjusted series and in the original series compared year on year.”

Foreign workers accounted for 63,899 of the October gain, or 34.2% of the total, and their share of all affiliates reached 16.35%. Foreign affiliation grew 19.29% year on year, while affiliation among Spanish nationals grew 0.99%. Seasonally adjusted affiliation rose by 90,309 to 22,571,105, extending the run to 69 consecutive monthly increases. The number of self-employed workers reached 3.5 million, almost 18,000 more than in September.

Regional picture

Madrid recorded the largest regional rise in affiliation with 58,128 workers, followed by Andalusia with 46,405 and the Valencian Community with 40,873. The Balearic Islands lost 31,610 average affiliates. Catalonia gained an average of 29,540 affiliates, or 0.74%, bringing its total to 4,032,774 and consolidating the symbolic four-million mark. Compared with a year earlier, Catalonia gained 149,917 affiliates, or 3.86%. Barcelona province added 42,386 workers from September, while Girona, Lleida and Tarragona recorded declines after the tourist and fruit-picking seasons. Registered unemployment in Catalonia rose by 8,174 to 338,246. The Generalitat's labour department said the regularisation had helped affiliation gains and that Catalonia led new registrations linked to the process with 98,608 people.

Madrid58,128

Andalusia46,405

Valencian Community40,873

Catalonia29,540

Balearic Islands-31,610

Madrid

58128 affiliates

Andalusia

46405 affiliates

Valencian Community

40873 affiliates

Catalonia

29540 affiliates

Balearic Islands

-31610 affiliates

Data from the article text

Temporary layoffs and labour market context

At the end of October, 10,392 workers nationwide remained in temporary employment regulation files (ERTE), made up of 7,178 in ERTE-ETOP, 2,180 in force majeure ERTEs and 1,034 under the RED mechanism for the motor sector. In Catalonia, 1,748 workers remained in ERTEs on 31 October. The Labour Force Survey (EPA) recorded employment growth of 2.1% year on year over July to September, a slower pace than affiliation suggests. Because the regularisation inflates affiliation counts, the EPA is the reference indicator better suited to measuring the labour market.