Spain's registered unemployment rose by 23,587 from the previous month in September 2026, more than market expectations of a 17,600 increase. Total jobless stood at 2.379 million, marking the lowest September total since 2007. The increase was driven by higher unemployment in services (+6,707), agriculture (+601), and among first-time job seekers (+17,966), largely due to the ongoing extraordinary regularization process, which is allowing previously undocumented workers already living in Spain to register with public employment services for the first time. Separate Social Security data showed net employment increased by 108,832 in September, bringing total formal employment to 22.48 million. source: Ministerio de Empleo y Seguridad Social

Unemployment Change in Spain decreased to 23.59 Thousand in September from 44.42 Thousand in August of 2026. Unemployment Change in Spain averaged 2.85 Thousand from 1960 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 461.00 Thousand in January of 2001 and a record low of -197.84 Thousand in July of 2021. This page provides the latest reported value for - Spain Unemployment Change - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Spain Unemployment Change - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on October of 2026.

Unemployment Change in Spain decreased to 23.59 Thousand in September from 44.42 Thousand in August of 2026. Unemployment Change in Spain is expected to be -36.00 Thousand by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Spain Unemployment Change is projected to trend around -22.00 Thousand in 2027 and -16.00 Thousand in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-09-02 07:00 AM
Unemployment Change
Aug 44.419K 19.517K 15.4K 22.0K
2026-10-02 07:00 AM
Unemployment Change
Sep 23.587K 44.419K 17.6K 19K
2026-11-04 08:00 AM
Unemployment Change
Oct 23.587K


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Retirement Age Men 66.83 66.67 Years Dec 2026
Retirement Age Women 66.83 66.67 Years Dec 2026
Unemployed Persons 2379.51 2355.92 Thousand Sep 2026
Unemployment Change 23.59 44.42 Thousand Sep 2026


Spain Unemployment Change
Unemployment Change in Spain measures the change in the number of unemployed compared to the previous month.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
23.59 44.42 461.00 -197.84 1960 - 2026 Thousand Monthly
Volumes, NSA

News Stream
Spain Jobless Rises More Than Expected
Spain's registered unemployment rose by 23,587 from the previous month in September 2026, more than market expectations of a 17,600 increase. Total jobless stood at 2.379 million, marking the lowest September total since 2007. The increase was driven by higher unemployment in services (+6,707), agriculture (+601), and among first-time job seekers (+17,966), largely due to the ongoing extraordinary regularization process, which is allowing previously undocumented workers already living in Spain to register with public employment services for the first time. Separate Social Security data showed net employment increased by 108,832 in September, bringing total formal employment to 22.48 million.
2026-10-02
Spain Jobless Rises More Than Expected
Spain's registered unemployment climbed by 44,419 from the prior month to 2.356 million in August 2026, far exceeding expectations for a 15,400 increase, yet the figure remains the lowest recorded for August since 2007. The increase was broad-based across most sectors, led by services (+28,563), followed by construction (+4,669), industry (+3,731), and people with no previous employment (+8,368). Agriculture was the only sector to record a decline, with unemployment falling by 912 people. Youth unemployment among those under 25 also increased by 8,168 from the previous month, but remained below 170,000, specifically at 167,730. By region, Catalonia recorded the largest rise in unemployment (+14,594), followed by Madrid (+6,881) and the Valencian Community (+5,847). All other regions also saw increases, apart from Ceuta (-148). Despite the monthly rise, registered unemployment was down by 70,593 people compared with August 2025.
2026-09-02
Spain Unemployment Surprisingly Rises in July
Spain's registered unemployment increased by 19,517 from the previous month to 2.311 million in July 2026, marking the lowest July total since 2007. Market expectations were pointing to a 20,300-decline. The monthly rise was unusual, reflecting the fact that July has become less affected by seasonal patterns. Between 2010 and 2019, registered unemployment typically declined by an average of 45,467 in July, while since the labor market reform the average July decrease has narrowed to just 4,981. The increase was driven by higher unemployment in services (+8,211), construction (+2,433), and among first-time job seekers (+8,268), largely due to the ongoing extraordinary regularization process, which is allowing previously undocumented workers already living in Spain to register with public employment services for the first time. Separate Social Security data showed net employment increased by 79,567 in July, bringing total formal employment to 22.29 million.
2026-08-04