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25 October 2024

Economically Active Population Survey

Third Quarter 2024

Main results

  • The number of people in employment increased by 138,300 compared with the previous quarter to 21,823,000. In seasonally adjusted terms, the quarterly rate was 0.37%. Employment has increased by 376,600 in the last 12 months.
  • Unemployment decreased by 1,200 persons to 2,754,100. In seasonally adjusted terms, it decreased by 2.39%. In the last 12 months it decreased by 140,400.
  • This quarter, the unemployment rate was 11.21%, seven hundredths lower than in the previous quarter.
  • The number of active persons increased by 137,100 to 24,577,100. Over the last year, it has increased by 236,100 persons.

More information

The number of employed persons increased by 138,300 persons in the third quarter of 2024, and stood at 21,823,000. The quarterly variation rate was 0.64%.

Employment variation in the third quarter compared to the second quarter of the same year

Thousands of people

By gender, employment increased this quarter by 114,800 men and 23,500 women. By nationality, it increased by 65,300 for Spaniards, including dual nationality, and increased by 73,000 for foreigners.

By sectors, occupation increased in Services (up 152,700) and Industry (23,400), it remained virtually unchanged for Construction (up 500) and decreased in Agriculture (down 38,300).

Full-time employment increased by 287,000 persons. Part-time employment decreased by 148,700. On the other hand, the number of employees increased by 224,000: those with permanent contracts increased by 102,700 and those with temporary contracts by 121,300. The number of self-employed workers decreased by 87,800 persons.

This quarter, private employment increased by 155,500 persons to 18,282,200. Public employment decreased by 17,100 to 3,540,800.

In the past 12 months, employment increased by 376,600 persons or 1.76% (with increases of 164,600 for men and 212,000 for women). By sector, the largest increase was in Services (239,700 more persons employed).

In the past 12 months, full-time employment increased by 272,400 persons and part-time employment by 104,100. On the other hand, permanent employment increased by 524,200 persons, while temporary employment decreased by 108,900.

Unemployment and unemployment rate

This quarter, the number of unemployed persons decreased by 1,200 to 2,754,100. The quarterly variation in unemployment was -0.04%.

Unemployment variation in the third quarter compared to the second quarter of the same year

Thousands of people

The unemployment rate decreased by seven hundredths and stood at 11.21%.

By gender, the number of unemployed men increased by 4,100 this quarter, while the number of unemployed women decreased by 5,300. The unemployment rate for women decreased by 7 hundredths to 12.54% and for men by 6 hundredths to 10.02%.

By nationality, unemployment increased by 36,400 among Spaniards, including those with dual nationality, while it decreased by 37,600 among foreigners.

Unemployment increased this quarter in Agriculture (up 20,700) and decreased in Construction (down 12,300), Industry (-6,900) and Services (-3,600).

Unemployment decreased by 40,800 among those who lost their job more than a year ago and increased by 41,800 among those seeking their first job.

In the past 12 months, the total number of unemployed decreased by 140,400 persons (24,500 men and 116,000 women). The annual variation was -4.85%.

By sector, unemployment decreased last year in Services (down 49,500), Industry (-16,900) and Agriculture (-10,700). At the same time, it increased in Construction (15,400). On the other hand, the number of unemployed persons who lost their jobs over a year ago decreased by 69,400 and the number of unemployed persons looking for their first job decreased by 9,400.

Economically active population and activity rate

The economically active population increased by 137,100 persons in the third quarter of 2024 to 24,577,100. The number of economically active women increased by 18,200 and that of men by 118,900.

By nationality, the number of active persons increased in this quarter by 101,700 among Spaniards and by 35,400 among foreigners.

The participation rate increased by 14 hundredths of a percentage point to 59.04%. The Spaniards rate decreased by 16 hundredths to 57.42% and that of foreigners by 9 hundredths to 69.33%. The different age structure is the main reason for the difference between the two.

In annual terms, the economically active population increased by 236,100 persons. The annual variation rate was 0.97%.

Households

Households with all active members unemployed decreased by 13,700 to 854,500. On the other hand, households with all economically active members employed increased by 32,100 to 11,798,000.

In the last 12 months, the number of households with at least one economically active member in which those members were unemployed decreased by 74,800, while those where all active members were employed increased by 226,500.

Results by autonomous communities and provincial data

The largest increase in employment this quarter was in Cataluña (up 53,500). And the largest decrease was recorded in Comunitat Valenciana (-42,300).

In relative terms, the largest quarterly increase was recorded in Principado de Asturias (5.36%).

In terms of unemployment, the largest decrease was recorded in Cataluña (-21,400). The largest increase was in Comunidad de Madrid (up 47,000).

Illes Balears (6.17%) recorded the lowest unemployment rate this quarter. Andalucía (16.06%), 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%.

Seasonally adjusted quarterly variation rate of employment

Percentage

As regards seasonally-adjusted unemployment results, there was a decrease of 2.39%.

Seasonally adjusted quarterly variation rate of unemployment

Percentage

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

Data revisions and 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.

For further information see Inicio INEbase Official INE account on @es_ine
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