Spain’s unemployment rate hits lowest level in 18 years
Spain has reached a significant labor market milestone. According to data from the Spanish National Statistics Institute, the country hit a record 22.8 million people in work during the second quarter of 2026. This surge follows the addition of 486,000 new jobs between April and June, a period heavily boosted by seasonal hiring in the services and tourism sectors.
The national unemployment rate has dropped to 9.87 percent. This marks the lowest level recorded in 18 years. The growth in employment was broad, with the construction and industrial sectors also reporting gains, while agriculture remained the only area to see a reduction in staff numbers.
Most of the new positions are full-time and permanent. Government figures indicate that temporary contracts are decreasing across the private sector, which accounted for the vast majority of the new hires during the quarter. Public-sector roles saw a slight decline of 15,600 positions, but overall job creation remains strong.
Regional data shows that Catalonia posted the highest total increase in employment, while the Balearic Islands saw the fastest percentage growth. With these latest figures, the government is now within 221,000 jobs of hitting its target of 23 million employed individuals by the end of 2026, a goal established by Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo last year.