Latest reading: U.S. payrolls fell by 92,000 in February 2026, marking the largest monthly decline in four months. This followed...
Unemployment in Spain
The unemployment rate in Spain averaged 16.3% in the decade to 2024, below the 8.5% average for Euro Area. The unemployment rate in Spain was 11.3% in 2024. For more information on unemployment, visit our dedicated page.
Spain Unemployment Chart
Note: This chart displays Unemployment Rate for Spain from 2014 to 2025.
Source: Macrobond.
Spain Unemployment Data
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment (% of active population, aop) | 15.5 | 14.9 | 13.0 | 12.2 | 11.3 |
Unemployment rate fell to 18-year low in Q4
Latest reading: The unemployment rate fell to 9.9% in Q4 from 10.4% in Q3. The market had expected a slight increase, and the reading was the lowest in 18 years. Meanwhile, the number of employed people rose by 76,200 to reach a new record of 22.5 million. The number of unemployed fell by 136,100 people from Q3, while the number of people in the labor force fell by 59,900 to a total of 24.9 million.
Panelist insight: EIU analysts said: “Unemployment remains comparatively high, but reforms that came into effect in 2022 have boosted employment and could help to reduce the widespread use of temporary job contracts and the risk of longer-term scarring from the pandemic.”
Consensus Forecasts and Projections for the next ten years
How should you choose a forecaster if some are too optimistic while others are too pessimistic? FocusEconomics collects Spanish unemployment projections for the next ten years from a panel of 30 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. By averaging all forecasts, upside and downside forecasting errors tend to cancel each other out, leading to the most reliable unemployment forecast available for Spanish unemployment.
Download one of our sample reports to visualize what a Consensus Forecast is and see our Spanish unemployment projections.
Want to get access to the full dataset of Spanish unemployment forecasts? Send an email to info@focus-economics.com.
Latest Global Unemployment News
-
United States: Employment tumbles in February -
Euro Area: Unemployment hit new record lows in January Latest reading: In January, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to a new record low of 6.1%, following a 6.2%... -
Australia: Employment rises in January Latest reading: Australia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1% in January, unchanged from the previous month and below market expectations,... -
United States: Job gains beat expectations in January Latest reading: The labor market expanded by 130,000 jobs in January 2026, a sharp acceleration from December’s downwardly revised increase... -
Euro Area: Unemployment unchanged in December from prior month Latest reading: In December, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at November’s 6.2%, the lowest on record. As for... -
Spain: Unemployment rate fell to 18-year low in Q4 Latest reading: The unemployment rate fell to 9.9% in Q4 from 10.4% in Q3. The market had expected a slight... -
Australia: Unemployment rate falls in December Latest reading: Labour market conditions improved toward the end of the year, with the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate easing to...