Spain’s labour market continued to strengthen in June, with registered unemployment falling below 2.3 million for the first time in more than 17 years while Social Security membership climbed to a new record, according to figures released by the Ministry of Labour on Thursday.
The State Public Employment Service reported that 2,291,982 people were registered as unemployed in June, a decline of 28,739 from May. It marks the lowest unemployment level since January 2008, before the global financial crisis.
The services sector accounted for nearly all of the monthly improvement, benefiting from increased hiring linked to the start of the summer tourism season. Registered unemployment in the sector fell by 28,498 people.
Industry also posted gains, with 2,829 fewer unemployed, while construction recorded a decline of 1,326 and agriculture saw unemployment fall by 384.
One area of concern was the number of people without previous work experience, which increased by 4,298 during the month. The rise suggests that first-time job seekers and those returning to the labour market continue to face greater difficulty finding employment.
Youth unemployment also continued its downward trend. The number of unemployed people under the age of 25 dropped by 5,155 compared with May and by 6,907 from a year earlier, leaving a total of 159,800 unemployed young people. The figure represents the lowest level recorded for this age group since official records began.
Women played a significant role in the overall improvement. Female unemployment fell below 1.4 million for the first time since August 2008, reaching around 1.39 million, while unemployment among men stood at 903,673. During June, the number of unemployed women declined by nearly 16,000, compared with about 13,000 fewer unemployed men.
Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz said ongoing efforts to regularise employment had helped bring previously undeclared jobs into the formal economy, increasing both Social Security registrations and legal labour protections. She noted that the number of women contributing to the Social Security system has risen by around 300,000 over the past year to a record 10.6 million.
Social Security membership also reached an all-time high after adding an average of 128,533 contributors in June, bringing total membership to 22.47 million. Seasonally adjusted employment also reached a record level above 22.2 million.
Retail and wholesale trade led monthly employment growth with more than 39,000 new contributors, followed by hospitality and administrative support services. Over the past year, healthcare, social services and construction posted some of the strongest gains.
The number of self-employed workers increased to 3.47 million, while foreign workers registered with Social Security reached 3.45 million, accounting for more than 15 percent of all contributors. Social Security Minister Elma Saiz said Spain generated more than half of all new jobs created across the European Union during the past year.
