Spain's October unemployment rises by 43,128, highest since 2020

Registered unemployment in Spain rose by 43,128 people in October compared to September (+1.8%), its largest increase for that month since 2020, driven by the services sector after the end of the summer season. The total number of unemployed stands at 2,422,633 people, the lowest figure for an October since 2007.

There is a way to read the October data that should be clear before alarming or celebrating: the Spanish labor market has a calendar, and that calendar weighs heavily. Registered unemployment at public employment service offices rose by **43,128 people** in October compared to the previous month, an increase of **1.8%**, according to data published by the **Ministry of Labor and Social Economy**. This is the largest increase in an October since **2020**, when unemployment rose by 49,558 people. Yet, the total number of unemployed, **2,422,633 people**, is the lowest level for an October since **2007**. Both facts are true simultaneously and do not contradict each other: the labor market destroys seasonal jobs in autumn, but does so from an unemployment level that has been falling for years.

The driver of the rise is precisely identified: services added **26,853 more unemployed people** during the month, a **1.58%** increase, nearly 27,000 people who lost registered jobs when the summer season ended. It was trinc by industry, with 1,911 more unemployed (+1.06%), agriculture, with 1,547 (+2.21%), and construction, with 102 (+0.06%). The group without prior employment, which mainly includes young people seeking their first experience, added 12,715 people (+4.9%). This is the classic picture of a Spanish October: hotels, hospitality, and tourism activities adjust staff, and the registry reflects it.

## An October that almost always rises

Since the comparable historical series began in **1996**, unemployment has fallen in an October on only two occasions: in **2021**, when it dropped by 734 people, and in **2022**, when it fell by 27,027. In the other 29 times, it rose. The largest increase was recorded in **2008**, with the financial crisis pushing unemployment up by more than 192,000 people in a single month. Last year’s October rise was 22,101 people. That means this October’s figure doubles last year’s, but remains far below the records of the Great Recession.

It is useful to separate seasonality from underlying trends. In seasonally adjusted terms, meaning cleaning out calendar and seasonal effects, registered unemployment increased by **9,405 people** compared to the previous month. This is the figure that measures the trend without the noise of summer contracts, showing a moderate deterioration, not a collapse. Over the past year, unemployment has accumulated a decrease of **21,133 people**, a reduction of **0.86%**. Details by gender reveal a gap closing on the female side: unemployment among women fell by 29,360 over twelve months (-2%), while male unemployment rose by 8,227 (+0.85%). However, in the month itself, both rose: 22,700 more women (+1.59%) and 20,428 more men (+2.1%).

## Where it rises and who feels it

Unemployment increased in all **17 autonomous communities** in October. The largest absolute increases occurred in **Catalonia** (+8,174 unemployed), the **Valencian Community** (+6,716), and **Castile and León** (+4,404). In **Ceuta**, it fell by 151 people (-1.9%), and in **Melilla**, it rose by 144 (+1.9%). By province, only three escaped the rise: **Córdoba** (-583), **Seville** (-405), and Ceuta (-151). The strongest increases were recorded in **Barcelona** (+4,869), **Madrid** (+4,071), and **Alicante** (+3,400). These are the provinces with the greatest weight in tourism and services, fitting the sectoral diagnosis.

One group deserves special attention: unemployment among foreigners rose by **27,744 people** in the month (+6.9%) and totals **92,224 more unemployed** than a year ago (+27.5%), reaching 427,407. This annual growth is much higher than the overall average and points to rapid population incorporation into the labor market that does not always find room. By age, unemployment among those under 25 rose by 15,832 people (+8.4%) to **204,973**, while among those over 25 it increased by 27,296 (+1.2%) to 2,217,660. The young cohort is the most sensitive to seasonality and the end of summer contracts.

## Hiring and benefit cushion

In October, **1,491,069 contracts** were registered, 1.3% less than in the same month of the previous year. Of these, **645,173 were permanent**, accounting for **43.27%** of the total, with slight growth of 0.3%. Within permanent contracts, full-time ones fell by 1.4% (257,400), part-time ones rose by 6.2% (178,962), and intermittent permanent ones dropped by 2.2% (208,811). Temporary contracts, numbering 845,896, represented 56.73% of the total and fell by 2.5%. From January to October, **13,645,679 contracts** have been signed, 4% more than in the same period last year, with 5.76 million permanent (+5.7%) and 7.82 million temporary (+2%).

The other side of the balance is spending on benefits. In September, the latest available data because benefit statistics lag one month behind unemployment figures, spending reached **€2,134.8 million**, 6.6% more than a year earlier. Average spending per beneficiary was €1,233.9 monthly, and the gross average amount of contributory benefits was **€1,037**. Beneficiaries totaled **1,763,649 people**, 5.17% more, and the coverage rate stood at **80.82%**, the highest for any September in the entire historical series, compared to 74.1% a year earlier. More registered unemployment in October, but better protection for those receiving benefits: two sides of the same statistic.

The underlying reading is the usual one for October: the end of summer takes away seasonal jobs, and the registry reflects it punctually. The difference from other years lies in the starting point. With 2.42 million registered unemployed, the Spanish labor market enters autumn at its best level for a tenth month since 2007, although with annual growth that has become nearly flat and with foreign populations and youth absorbing most of the adjustment. Unemployment and benefit data are official statistics; any economic or labor decision should be verified with a professional.