Spain gained 97,000 jobs in February and unemployment grew by 3,600 folks | Economy | EUROtoday

In February, as a basic rule, Social Security affiliation begins an upward path that lasts till summer time. This 12 months has not been an exception, with the creation of 97,000 jobs in comparison with January, in keeping with knowledge distributed this Tuesday by the Government. It is a major improve, the third largest since 2007, though somewhat weaker than that of the final two years. More bitter is the unemployment knowledge: registered unemployment grows by 3,600 folks, after two years wherein this variable fell within the second month. You have to return to 2021, within the midst of the pandemic, to discover a worse determine, though a nuance must be added. The worsening is principally as a result of incorporation of younger folks with out earlier employment, to not the destruction of jobs.

The 97,000 associates that Social Security gained in February signify a determine barely decrease than that of the identical interval in 2025 (+100,300) and 2024 (+103,600). In relative phrases, there is a rise from 0.48% final 12 months to 0.45% this 12 months. That is, virtually the identical impulse, however with rather less vigor, which may also be seen within the annual job creation. Compared to February of final 12 months, 474,500 jobs had been gained (+2.24%), in comparison with 487,800 the earlier 12 months (+2.36%). No different European nation creates as many roles as Spain lately.

This advance brings the overall variety of Social Security affiliations to 21.67 million, the best determine recorded within the month of February, and really near the historic most, which was reached in July of final 12 months (21.87 million). If international uncertainty (rising as a result of battle in Iran) doesn’t weaken the Spanish economic system excessively, it’s foreseeable that this report shall be surpassed within the coming months, earlier than the summer time.

In February, the sectors that contributed essentially the most new jobs had been schooling (+31,200) and hospitality (+23,000). The first beneficial properties power after the standard drop within the first month, linked to the Christmas break in academies and different non-formal schooling facilities, and the second takes off with an eye fixed on Easter. Employment in building (+19,200), the manufacturing business (+12,700) and scientific actions (+10,600) can be advancing strongly. On the opposite hand, membership declines in transportation and storage (-2,600), well being and social providers (-7,600) and, above all, commerce (-14,000).

These intermonthly modifications reply to seasonal dynamics. To understand how sectors are progressing in the long run, year-on-year knowledge is extra precious. There, the primacy of well being and social providers actions is noticed (+79,800), in a context of inhabitants getting older, and likewise of schooling (+51,100), regardless of the robust variability of the information all year long as a consequence of layoffs (or durations of inactivity of discontinuous everlasting workers) throughout holidays. Construction (+49,200) and scientific actions (+44,200) are additionally advancing strongly.

The reverse is the decline in home employment (-1,200), a phenomenon that has elevated lately and that specialists relate to a number of elements, such because the switch of feminine employees to service corporations or the sharp will increase within the minimal wage.

By autonomous group, the Balearic Islands leads with a rise of two.8% in its variety of affiliations, pushed by the rise in tourism within the second month. The improve can be related within the Region of Murcia (+1.1%) and Catalonia (+0.6%). Membership fell in February in Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha (-0.2% within the two communities). With an annual look, the autonomy with the most effective outcomes is the Valencian Community (+3.5%) and the worst, Extremadura (+0.5%).

On the opposite hand, Social Security highlights that there are 37,500 extra self-employed employees than a 12 months in the past. “Of these, nearly 23,000 positions have been created in sectors with high added value, in professional, scientific and technical activities and in telecommunications, computer programming, consulting, computer infrastructure and other information services,” underlines the Elma Saiz division, which additionally focuses on feminine employment: “It has grown by 16.8% since the year before the labor reform, 3.4 points above that of men.”

Registered unemployment grows

Unemployment knowledge displays a rise of three,600 folks throughout the month of February. The knowledge contrasts with the drop of 6,000 unemployed that was reported in the identical month of 2025 and seven,500 in 2024. The annual steadiness signifies that to this point this 12 months, registered unemployment has fallen by 150,800 folks (-5.8%), a barely decrease contraction than final 12 months, with 167,000 fewer unemployed (-6%). This evolution of unemployment brings the worldwide determine to 2.42 million, the bottom degree in a month of February since 2008.

The improve in unemployment in February, when disaggregated by sectors, connects with the enhance of unemployed folks in search of their first job. That is, they don’t seem to be individuals who have misplaced their jobs and are posting resumes. They are, usually, younger folks in search of their first job alternative. The variety of folks on this state of affairs grew in February by 6,300 folks (+2.9%). At the identical time, unemployment in building (2,140 folks, -1.2%), in business (+1,120 folks, -0.6%) and agriculture (+575 folks, -0.8%) fell. Unemployment will increase in providers by 1,158 folks (+0.06%).

In its evaluation of the information, the Ministry of Labor highlights that the overall variety of unemployed younger folks stands at 189,408, “the lowest figure recorded in a month of February in the historical series”, and that “the path of stability in new contracts is maintained”, with 44.2% everlasting. It additionally highlights that the profit protection fee (the proportion of unemployed individuals who have a profit) has reached 81.9%, “the highest level in the historical series in January.”