Key facts
- Spain's Social Security system lost 162,840 jobs in August.
- Unemployment increased by 44,419 people in the same month.
- This represents the smallest decrease in August job numbers since the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The education sector saw the largest job losses, with over 78,000 professionals ceasing affiliation.
- Year-on-year, the Spanish labor market has created approximately 680,000 jobs.
- The unemployment rate at the end of Q2 2026 was 9.87%, the lowest since Q1 2008.
Spain's economy experienced a significant job loss in August, with the Social Security system shedding 162,840 contributors. Concurrently, the number of registered unemployed individuals rose by 44,419. Despite these figures, the decrease in job numbers is the smallest recorded for an August since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The seasonal end of the tourist season and the interruption of contracts in sectors like education typically contribute to these August figures. The education sector was particularly hard-hit, with over 78,000 teachers and education professionals ceasing their affiliation during the summer break.
On a positive note, the Spanish labor market has created approximately 680,000 jobs over the past year. The unemployment rate at the close of the second quarter of 2026 fell to 9.87%, marking the lowest level since the first quarter of 2008. The process of regularizing foreign workers has also played a role, with over 337,000 incorporated into the Social Security system, helping to offset the seasonal decline. Foreign workers now constitute more than 3.5 million contributors, representing 15.9% of the total workforce.
Spain's Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, described the labor market's evolution as "historic job growth." Similarly, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz explained that unemployment typically rises in August due to seasonal work contracts ending after the summer holidays.