November reduced 14,300 workers due to the decline in the hospitality industry, although unemployment was reduced by 18,800 people

Once again in November, the labor market is deflating slightly due to the stoppage in the hospitality industry in certain territories, especially due to the end of the tourist season in the Balearic Islands, and waiting for hiring for the Christmas campaign to be made. In 2025, membership was reduced by 14,358 workers on average, half of last year and a figure somewhat lower than that recorded in the last decade (except in the recovery of post-pandemic employment). For its part, registered unemployment fell by 18,805 people, in this case lower than the average for recent years, bringing the total to 2.42 million unemployed people, the lowest figure for 17 years.

After the variation in November, the labor market reaches more than 21.8 million people working on average. Specifically, a total of 21,825,233 Social Security affiliates, very close to the historical highs reached this summer.

As noted, November is a month in which there is a significant reduction in employment in the hospitality industry, around 120,000 this year, without it being compensated in volume by other sectors. When looking at the rest of the activities, there are only a few with timid red records, such as agriculture (-1,500) or “other services”, with 976 fewer members. With positive data, education stands out, with 30,700 more people affiliated, and commerce, with 21,600 more workers, due to the anticipated hiring for Christmas and the Black Friday sales campaigns.

In this month, in addition, the global employment balance is greatly affected by one territory in particular: the Balearic Islands, which lost almost 95,000 jobs with the end of its tourist season. Castilla y León followed at a great distance, with 6,349 fewer workers, and Catalunya (-2,555). On the other hand, the Communities that created the most jobs in absolute terms in November were the Community of Madrid, with 35,000 more workers, the Comunitat Valenciana (+22,300) and Andalusia (+1,800).

The following map collects information by province with the evolution of employment in the last year, with a panorama of general increase in workers – except Jaén and Soria – and where Valencia stands out positively (it must be remembered that a year after the DANA catastrophe), Málaga, Guadalajara and Toledo, with increases in employment above 3.4%.

Almost 523,000 more jobs in the last year

If the seasonally adjusted evolution of employment is taken into account, which isolates the labor market from the ups and downs of the calendar, employment grew by 44,700 people. This is a figure lower than that of the last two months, with an acceleration in employment, but higher than that recorded in most of the year.

Looking ahead to November 2024, the pace of job creation accelerated in year-on-year terms, exceeding 2.4%, which represents more than half a million more jobs in the last twelve months. Specifically, 522,771 more people on average are affiliated with Social Security.

“Employment in Spain continues to grow at a higher rate than other European economies, and it does so continuously in sectors with high added value such as Information and Communication and Scientific and Technical Professional Activities,” the Minister of Social Security, Elma Saiz, celebrated this Tuesday.

2.4 million people unemployed

On the side of registered unemployment, of unemployed people registered at public employment offices, it was reduced by 18,800 people, a figure in line with the reductions of recent years. Unemployment is reduced in November in all economic sectors and also among the “Collective Without Previous Employment”, highlights the Ministry of Labor.

This month’s balance leaves the total at 2,424,961 unemployed people, at levels from 2008, 17 years ago, at the beginning of the Great Recession. Compared to November 2024, unemployment has decreased by 161,057 people (-6.2%). In seasonally adjusted terms, registered unemployment fell by 11,881 people.

“Spain advances when working people advance. And this month’s data demonstrates it again. Because behind each number there is a change in life. Families that breathe better, young people who start with more security, women who break barriers that seemed impossible,” underlined the second vice president and Minister of Labor Yolanda Díaz, who highlighted that youth unemployment fell by 5,476 young people, falling below 190,000, the lowest figure in a month of November of the historical series.

Díaz has stated that “now it is time to distribute the benefits of an economy that works, that is going well.” “We are going to continue raising the interprofessional minimum wage. We will approve the new time record so that overtime is stopped in our country without paying. And if they are done, they will be with rights and paid. We will also expand leave for bereavement and palliative care. And we will update the law on the prevention of occupational risks to ensure that all this work is also healthy,” he stressed.

Regarding hiring, almost 1.3 million contracts were signed in November, of which 41% are indefinite, compared to records close to 10% prior to the 2022 labor reform, a change that the head of Labor has also highlighted.