Spain’s labor market strengthened again in May, with unemployment falling to its lowest level for that month since 2007 and employment reaching a new record high, according to government data released Tuesday.
The number of people registered as unemployed dropped by 36,323 from April, bringing the total to 2.32 million. Compared with the same month last year, Spain had 134,162 fewer unemployed workers. The improvement came as the country entered the summer season, when tourism and hospitality typically drive a major wave of hiring.
Spain’s Social Security system also recorded strong growth, adding nearly 232,000 contributors in May. The total number of registered workers rose to 22.3 million, the highest level since comparable records began. On a seasonally adjusted basis, employment reached 22.1 million after 64 consecutive months of growth.
The hospitality industry led the monthly job gains, adding almost 66,000 workers as hotels, restaurants and tourism-related businesses prepared for the busy summer period. Administrative and support services also posted solid growth, with around 27,000 new registered workers. Health and social services were the strongest contributors on an annual basis, adding more than 77,000 jobs compared with a year earlier.
Self-employment also reached a record level, with 3.46 million people registered as working for themselves. Foreign workers continued to play an important role in Spain’s labor market, reaching 3.36 million contributors, or about 15% of all registered workers.
Youth unemployment fell to 164,955 people under the age of 25, the lowest figure since the data series began. Among women, unemployment dropped to 1.4 million, the lowest level for a May since 2008, though women still make up a larger share of the jobless total than men.
The services sector saw the largest decline in unemployment, while jobless numbers also fell in industry, construction and agriculture. Regionally, the Balearic Islands recorded the biggest monthly drop in unemployment and the strongest increase in Social Security registrations, helped by the start of the tourist season.
Spain also reported 572,061 permanent contracts in May, representing 43.2% of all new contracts signed during the month. The figure suggests that stable hiring continues to grow alongside seasonal employment.
The latest data underline Spain’s continued labor market recovery, supported by tourism, services and steady growth in registered employment.
