The second-quarter 2025 labour force survey, published on 24 July, put employment at 22.27 million people, an all-time high, and the unemployment rate at 10.29%, the lowest since 2008.
Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) published the second-quarter labour force survey (EPA) on 24 July 2025. The number of people in work rose by 503,300 from the previous quarter to 22,268,700, the first time Spain has exceeded 22 million. Unemployment fell by 236,100 to 2,553,100, and the unemployment rate dropped a full point to 10.29%, the lowest since 2008.
What we know
The second quarter is usually good for jobs because of the start of the tourist season, but the gain was larger than in previous years. Most of the new jobs were created in services, above all in hospitality and retail, and a significant share went to workers of foreign nationality, who account for much of the growth in the labour force.
Temporary employment remained low following the 2021 labour reform, and full-time jobs gained weight. Social Security registration figures, published monthly, confirmed the same trend.
What does not change
Despite the improvement, Spain’s unemployment rate was still the highest in the European Union, almost double the average, and youth unemployment exceeded 24%. Productivity per hour worked was growing slowly, and hours worked per employee remained below pre-pandemic levels.
What it means for a business
A labour market with more people in work and fewer unemployed means, for many companies, more difficulty finding skilled profiles and more pressure on wages, especially in hospitality, construction, transport and technology. It is worth planning recruitment, training and talent retention well ahead. Ask your employment adviser how this applies to you.
More jobs are the best news an economy can have; the next step is for each job to produce more.
This article is general information. It is not legal, tax or investment advice, and it does not take anyone’s particular circumstances into account.
