Spain unemployment fell to pre-pandemic levels in November
November ended in Spain with 74,381 (-2.28%) fewer people registered in the offices of the State Public Employment Service (SEPE, in its acronym in Spanish), the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy reported in a press release.
The total number of registered unemployed stood at 3,182,687 people, the lowest figure in a month of November since 2008. It is also a number of unemployed lower than pre-pandemic levels: in November there were 63,360 people registered as unemployed less than in February 2020.
In seasonally adjusted terms, registered unemployment fell by 98,061 people. November closed the longest cycle of unemployment decline in the historical series, with nine consecutive months of falls. In these nine months (since February 2021), the total number of people registered as unemployed decreased by 826,102.
Registered unemployment fell compared to October in all sectors of activity. And in all of them, especially in the Services sector, unemployment is already at levels lower than those at the start of the pandemic.
In Services, the number of registered unemployed decreased by 48,528 people (-2.11%), in Industry by 7,689 people (-2.91%), in Agriculture by 6,072 people (-3.89%) and in Construction in 4,336 people (-1.70%). In November, unemployment also fell among the group of people without previous employment, at 7,756 people (-2.77%).
In November, a total of 2,021,546 employment contracts were signed, the highest figure for a month of November in the historical series. Of these, 282,981 (14%) are permanent contracts, and this is also the highest figure since there are records.
Unemployment by sex and age
Unemployment falls more among women than among men. There are 40,322 (-2.09%) less women registered in the public employment services, reducing the total to 1,888,257.
Women's unemployment has fallen by 416,522 women since February, and there are already fewer unemployed women than before the pandemic. Male unemployment stands at 1,294,430, falling by 34,059 (-2.56%) men.
Unemployment among young people under 25 years of age fell in November by 11,554 people (-4.50%) compared to the previous month. The number of unemployed people under 25 years of age has fallen by 120,961 since March, leaving 16,006 young people unemployed less than at the beginning of the pandemic.
Unemployment aged 25 and over fell by 62,827 people (-2.09%).