ACRONYMS National Statistics Institute
26 July 2024

Economically Active Population Survey

Second Quarter 2024

Main results

  • The number of people in employment increased by 434,700 compared with the previous quarter to 21,684,700. In seasonally adjusted terms, the quarterly rate was 0.37%. Employment has increased by 426,300 in the last 12 months.
  • Unemployment decreased by 222,600 persons to 2,755,300. In seasonally adjusted terms it increased by 1.15%. In the last 12 months it decreased by 52,900.
  • This quarter, the unemployment rate was 11.27%, 1.02 points lower than in the previous quarter.
  • The number of active persons increased by 212,100 to 24,440,000. Over the last year, it has increased by 373,300 persons.

The number of employed persons increased by 434,700 one person in the second quarter of 2024 to 21,684,700. The quarterly variation rate was 2.05%.

Variation of employement in the second quarther compared with the first the same year

Thousands

By gender, employment increased this quarter by 202,600 men and 232,100 women. By nationality, it increased by 304,900 persons among Spaniards - including dual nationality - and by 129,700 among foreigners.

Employment increased in the second quarter in all sectors: Services (304,000 more), Industry (63,400), Construction (61,100) and Agriculture (6,100).

Full-time employment increased by 433,500 persons. Part-time employment remained almost unchanged (1,200 more). On the other hand, the number of employees increased by 377,100 - those with permanent contracts increased by 272,000 and those with temporary contracts by 105,100. The number of self-employed increased by 58,300 persons.

This quarter, private employment increased by 427,800 persons to 18,126,800. And public employment by 6,900 to 3,557,900.

Over the last 12 months, employment increased by 426,300 persons, or 2.01% (with increases of 254,300 women and 172,000 men). By sector, the largest increase was in Services (207,900 more persons employed).

In the past 12 months, full-time employment increased by 359,900 persons and part-time employment by 66,400. On the other hand, permanent employment increased by 649,300 persons, while temporary employment decreased by 207,100.

Unemployment and unemployment rate

This quarter, the number of unemployed decreased by 222,600 persons to 2,755,300. The quarterly variation in unemployment was -7.47%.

Variation of unemployement in the second quarther compared with the first the same year

Thousands

The unemployment rate decreased by 1.02 percentage points to 11.27%.

By gender, the number of unemployed men decreased by 109,200 and the number of unemployed women by 113,400. The unemployment rate for women decreased by 1.12 points to 12.61% and for men by 93 hundredths of a point to 10.08%.

By nationality, unemployment decreased among Spaniards by 166,900 and among foreigners by 55,700.

By sector, unemployment decreased this quarter in all sectors: Services (190,500 less), Construction (-12,900), Industry (-9,300) and Agriculture (-7,300).

Unemployment decreased by 17,600 among those who lost their job more than a year ago and increased by 14,900 among those seeking their first job.

In the last 12 months the total number of unemployed decreased by 52,900 persons (7,500 men and 45,400 women less). The annual variation was -1.88%.

Unemployment decreased over the past year in Agriculture (-12,400) and Industry (-8,400), and remained virtually unchanged in Services and Construction (-200 in each). On the other hand, the number of unemployed persons who lost their jobs over a year ago decreased by 21,000 and that of unemployed persons looking for their first job by 10,600.

Economically active population and activity rate

The economically active population increased by 212,100 persons in the second quarter to 24,440,000. The number of economically active women increased by 118,700 and that of men by 93,400.

By nationality, the number of active persons increased in the last quarter by 138,100 among Spaniards and by 74,100 among foreigners.

The participation rate increased by 27 hundredths of a percentage point to 58.90%. The Spaniards' share increased by 23 hundredths of a percentage point to 57.26% and that of foreigners by 41 hundredths of a percentage point to 69.43%. The different age structure is the main reason for the difference between the two.

In annual terms, the economically active population increased by 373,300 persons. The annual variation rate was 1.55%.

Households

Households with all active members unemployed decreased by 109,600 to 868,300. On the other hand, those with all active members in employment increased by 220,800 to 11,765,800.

In the last 12 months, the number of households with at least one active person in which all active persons were unemployed decreased by 50,500, while those with all active persons in employment increased by 211,600.

Results by autonomous communities and provincial data

The largest increase in employment this quarter was in Andalusia (101,200 more). The largest decrease was in Cantabria (-3,000).

In relative terms, the highest quarterly increase was in Illes Balears (16.43%).

In terms of unemployment, the largest decrease was recorded in Andalucía (-54,100). The largest increase was in Cantabria (2,600 more).

The Comunidad Foral de Navarra (7.42%) recorded the lowest unemployment rate this quarter. Andalucía (16,27%), the highest.

At the provincial level, a summary of the results can be found in this document and all the information is available via this link.

Seasonally adjusted series

The seasonally adjusted quarterly rate of change in employment was 0.37%.

Quarterly variation rate of seasonally adjusted employment

Percentage

As regards the seasonally adjusted unemployment results, a increase of 1.15% was observed.

Quarterly variation rate of seasonally adjusted unemployment

Percentage

The seasonally adjusted model and the employment and unemployment series can be found at this link.

Revisions and data updates

The data published today are final. All results of this operation are available on INEBase.

Methodological note

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) has been carried out since 1964. Its current methodology from 2021 onwards adapts the previous methodology to the new European Labour Force Survey regulations.

It is a continuous, quarterly research activity addressed to families, whose main purpose is to obtain data on the labour force and its various categories (employed, unemployed), as well as on the population outside the labour market (inactive).

As of the third quarter of 2009, the survey includes an additional sample in Galicia that is collected by the Galician Statistics Institute (IGE) using the same fieldwork system and methodology as the INE.

Type of survey:
quarterly continuous survey.
Population scope:
population residing in family homes.
Geographical scope:
the entire national territory.
Reference period of the results:
the quarter.
Reference period of the information:
the week before the interview.
Sample size:
The number of census tracts was 5,298, of which 288 were the additional sample from Galicia. The average number of homes selected per section was 14. Currently there are around 55,000 dwellings and 130,000 people.
Sample type:
two-stage stratification in the first stage units, i.e. census tracts. The second-stage units are inhabited family dwellings.
Collection method:
personal, telephone and web interviews.

For more information, you can access the methodology and the standardized methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information in Quality at INE and Code of Best Practices.

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