- Average affiliation in July was 22,508,065 people, an all-time high.
- Registered unemployment rose by 19,517 to 2,311,499, though it is the lowest July figure since 2007.
- The ministry attributes the rise to the extraordinary regularisation, which lets people who were already working but had no access to the employment service register.
The data published on 4 August 2026 by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security show a labour market with two readings at once. Average Social Security affiliation in July reached 22,508,065 workers, 41,727 more than in June and 642,562 more than a year earlier (+2.9 %). At the same time, registered unemployment rose by 19,517, or 0.85 %, to 2,311,499, although it remains the lowest figure for a July since 2007.
The ministry itself called the trend in unemployment “atypical” and explained that the increase is concentrated among those looking for a first job, 8,268 more, because of the extraordinary regularisation process: people who were already working but had no access to the public employment service are now registering. By 30 July there were 262,475 regularised foreign workers registered with Social Security.
Two readings of one month
A rise in unemployment does not always mean job destruction. When a group previously invisible to the statistics registers, registered unemployment rises without a single job being lost. The figures should be read together with affiliation, which measures those who pay contributions. In July, moreover, unemployment among under-25s fell by 238, to 159,562, the lowest level in the historical series. It also helps to compare with last year: there are 93,107 fewer unemployed than in July 2025 (−3.87 %), so the underlying trend is still downward.
The month also showed territorial and sector differences. Catalonia led the rise in affiliation, with 16,529 more affiliates, and was also the region where unemployment rose most, by 7,705 people. By sector, health and social services (57,446), retail (50,100) and hospitality (23,999) gained affiliates, while education lost 124,506.
What it means for a company
For companies that employ regularised people, regularisation means working with a proper contract and registration, with the contribution and occupational risk prevention obligations that entails. Of the 262,475 regularised workers affiliated at 30 July, 81.5 % (213,883) were in the general regime and 4.8 % (12,675) were self-employed.
Anyone who hires or keeps staff who have been regularised should check that each worker’s documents are up to date, that the registration matches the real post and that the occupation code, which must be reported within six months of 1 August, reflects the work actually done. It is internal housekeeping that avoids penalties and later disputes.
Hiring and coverage
In July, 1,587,141 contracts were registered, of which 617,211 were permanent, 38.89 % of the total; 216,470 of them were fixed-discontinuous, a form common in seasonal activities. As for benefits, June data showed 1,724,237 recipients and a coverage rate of 80.96 %, the highest for a June. The ministry also stresses that the ratio of contributors to pensioners is 2.5, the highest since 2011, a figure relevant to the sustainability of the pension system.
Figures for a single month do not set a trend, and July is conditioned by the school calendar and the tourist season. For staffing decisions it is better to look at the seasonally adjusted series, which puts the monthly increase in affiliates at 79,567, and to rely on your employment adviser to plan hiring and renewals.
A rising jobless count can also be a sign that more people are entering the system, which is why it deserves a calm reading.
This article is general information. It is not legal, tax or investment advice, and it does not take anyone’s particular circumstances into account.
