MADRID – Unemployment in Spain has remained below the 3 million mark since April. In November, unemployment fell by 33,512 people. Those are good numbers. However, unemployment fell twice as much a year ago.
This month’s data shows the second-largest drop in unemployment in the historical series. In November, 2,881,300 people were unemployed. Social security affiliation remains virtually at the same level with 155 fewer premium payers affiliated. Normally, this number drops much more in November. From 2017 to 2019, before the pandemic, the loss of affiliates was more pronounced at an average of 37,000 people.
Permanent contracts continue to rise
The picture that the official figures from the Ministry of Labour give is also positive concerning the quality of the contracts. 43.2% of contracts signed in November were for an indefinite period. It also represented an increase of more than 500% compared to November 2021, even before the labour market reform.
And the level of part-time contracts is not decreasing: permanent part-time contracts are up 104% compared to last month. That is more than 200% compared to the previous year.
The strong shopping season is noticeable, but less so
Employment in the retail sector is holding up, albeit at a more subdued level. Compared to last month, only 1% of social security enrollments come from this sector, nearly 25,000 people; behind only education, which has risen the most this month, 2.62%.
However, the trade sector is the one where the most people are employed: 2,517,114 employees in November. It is a record number and the first time in 10 years that the number of people working in this sector has passed the 2.5 million mark.
But the hospitality industry does not follow this rhythm; in November it is the sector that lost the most social security members, 7.22% less and 101,752 persons. The hospitality sector is the sector that has seen the most employment decline compared to October.
Also read: October unemployment figures
Record data for female employment
In November, 9,536,203 women were registered with the social security system. That is the highest number of working women in the historical series in the month of November. And there are 19,199 women on the unemployment list, a total of 1,727,559, the lowest number in 14 years.
