September of job creation, but also of rising unemployment, as is usual in a month marked by the start of the school year and the end of the tourist season in many areas of the country. Registered unemployment increased by 3,164 people, the smallest increase since 2007, except for the years most affected by the pandemic. For its part, the increase in employment was moderate, with 8,805 people affiliated with Social Security, the smallest increase since 2019, influenced by a weak increase in education compared to previous years.
The latest labor market data published this Wednesday thus leave a general panorama of 2,575,285 unemployed people, the lowest figure in the month of September for 17 years, except for the COVID effect, highlights the Ministry of Labor. The Secretary of State for Labor, Joaquín Pérez Rey, has highlighted that the small increase in unemployment in September compared to an average increase of “about 22,000 more unemployed people” this month, which in his opinion denotes the “greater robustness” of the labor market.
For its part, a total of 21.2 million people working were affected. September reached a total of 21,198,206 people affiliated to Social Security on average, “the September with the highest level of employment in the historical series,” highlights the Ministry of Social Security.
If we look at the seasonally adjusted data, which isolates the labor market from the ups and downs of the calendar, and which are the ones most used by Social Security as a reference, 22,220 jobs were created in September. This is a somewhat lower registration than last month, about 30,000 people, but it improves the drop registered in July (just 1,300 more affiliates). For its part, registered unemployment fell by 22,729 people if seasonally adjusted data is taken into account.
When we look at what has happened in the last year, 473,411 jobs have been created, which represents a job creation rate of 2.3%, which has slowed down slightly in recent months.
Regarding registered unemployment, the reduction in unemployment is 147,183 people in the last twelve months, a decrease of 5.4%.
The increase in unemployment in September affected mainly women, with an increase in female unemployment of 3,080 people (0.2%), compared to an increase of 84 more unemployed men (0.01%) compared to August, a fact marked by the fall in unemployment in more masculinized sectors, such as construction and industry. The interannual data, which allows us to take a better picture of the situation, shows a similar decrease in unemployment by sex, although somewhat higher among men: it has fallen by 60,058 men (-5.6%) and by 87,125 women (-5.6%). 3%) compared to September 2023.
Job creation, on the other hand, shows a more favorable image for women. Membership grows in year-on-year terms more among working women (+2.6%), who once again reach 10 million women registered with Social Security this month, compared to +2% for men, with a total of 11 .2 million workers.
Although youth unemployment increased this month, something typical of the end of summer, with 15,027 people signed up for the SEPE offices, the Ministry of Labor highlights that “youth unemployment has had 41 consecutive months of year-on-year reductions and registers the lowest figure in a month September” of the series, with a total of 192,139 people under 25 years of age signed up for SEPE. However, youth unemployment remains high and a pending issue in Spain, leading in Europe with respect to our community neighbors.
Less education pull
The increase in employment this September, by 8,805 affiliated people, is moderate if we look at the records of recent years, from which 2020 and 2021 should be excepted again, which were highly influenced by the pandemic. Last year, the increase was 18,300 jobs, for example.
When the details of affiliation by sector are observed, it is observed that this year the increase in registrations in education, due to the start of the school year, has been weaker. The number of employees increased by almost 50,000 people in the General Regime compared to August, compared to 86,000 people last year or 61,000 in 2022, for example. The Secretary of State for Social Security, Borja Suárez, has highlighted this anomaly in the educational sector, which the Ministry interprets as a certain delay in hiring, which is why they anticipate that affiliation in October will be stronger than usual in this sector. activity.
On the other hand, the decrease in employment in hospitality and commerce, due to the end of the summer season in many parts of the country, is similar to that of previous years: 30,300 and 41,600 fewer jobs, respectively. Last year it was -32,200 (hospitality) and -40,000 (commerce), to give a reference. In 2022, -33,400 and -36,300.
Among the sectors that created employment and compensated for the losses linked to tourism, the increase of 24,007 people working in administrative activities and auxiliary services (+1.6%) stands out, and in the special agricultural regime, with 17,655 more affiliates (+2, 9%).
For its part, construction added 1,623 employees (+0.16%) compared to August and the manufacturing industry added 6,099 employees (+0.31%).
Self-employment added 5,731 people affiliated in September (+0.17%), a figure almost the same as last year. In the last twelve months, RETA memberships are accelerating, with 37,748 more members (+1.13%) compared to September 2023.
By territory, the Balearic Islands (+3.4%) and the Canary Islands (+3.1%) are among the regions with the most job creation in the last year, as is Malaga (+3.3%). On the opposite side, Ciudad Real (+0.4%), Córdoba, Lugo and Ourense (+0.5%) are among the provinces with the lowest increase in employment.
44% of permanent contracts
The total number of contracts registered during the month of September was 1.4 million, which represents an increase of 1.5% compared to the same month in 2023. Specifically, 619,333 contracts were of an indefinite nature, which represents almost 44% (43.8%) of the total, records only reached after the labor reform against abusive temporary employment.
Social Security highlights that, in the last year, members with permanent full-time contracts grew more intensely (348,671 more) than those with part-time contracts (89,881 more), while permanent discontinuous contracts decreased (14,840 less).
“This means that 64.1% of new Social Security affiliates with an indefinite contract in the last year are full-time,” underlines the Ministry of Elma Saiz.
The Secretary of State for Social Security has highlighted that permanent workers “continue to advance” among the total, with a temporary employment rate of 13.2%. “The quality of employment is noticeably better than at other times” of membership increases, highlighted Borja Suárez.
Source: www.eldiario.es
