January 26, 2024.- The data of the Active Population Survey (EPA) for the fourth quarter of 2023 published today by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) confirm the extraordinary behavior of the labor market last year and its structural change, with a historical increase in the occupation and the active population, a significant reduction in unemployment and the improvement of stability, with the decrease of the temporality to European levels.
These figures also show the effectiveness of the reforms adopted and the dynamism and strength of the Spanish economy in the complex international context.
The number of employed increased in the year 2023 by more than 783,000 people, 3.83%, almost three times more than in 2022, to reach 21,246,900 employed. In the last quarter the occupation decreased in gross terms by 19,000 people (-0.09%), while in seasonally adjusted terms it grew by more than 125,000 (0.6%), in line with the 2015-2019 average.
Likewise, unemployment fell by 193,400 people in the last year (-6.4%), a reduction that is more than double that which occurred in 2022. In the last quarter of the year, this trend continued, with a drop in unemployment of 24,600 people (-0.86%). In seasonally adjusted terms, the reduction was 1.2%. Thus, the total number of unemployed at the end of the year stood at 2,830,600 people and the unemployment rate fell more than one point to 11.76%.
This fall in unemployment is especially significant given the remarkable growth of the active population, which in the last 12 months increased by 589,600 people, more than double that in 2022, exceeding 24 million people, which shows the confidence of workers in the dynamism of the Spanish labor market.
This improvement in the labour market has been widespread with an increase in employment and a reduction in unemployment in most of the Autonomous Communities and economic sectors. It should also be noted that most of the employment created in 2023 was carried out by the private sector, with 715,900 new jobs, which represents more than 91% of the jobs created.
The qualitative improvement in employment has also continued to be deepened, with a reduction in temporality, up to 16.49%, which places Spain practically in the European average. In the same way, most of the employment created in 2023 was full-time, with an increase of 695,400 people, compared to 87,600 part-time.
Occupation
The occupation increased by 783,000 people in the last year (+3.83%), to 21,246,900 people. In the last quarter the occupation was reduced by 19,000 people (-0.09%). In seasonally adjusted terms, the increase was +0.6%.
Employment grew in all sectors in the last year. The sector in which the occupation increased the most was Services, with 629,200 more workers, followed by Construction, with 108,300 and Industry, with 28,000.
In the fourth quarter, the occupation in the Services sector decreased only, with 123,400 fewer workers, while it increased in the rest of the sectors, especially Agriculture, with 68,800 more workers.
With regard to the Autonomous Communities, the occupation increased in most of the regions. The largest increases occurred in Catalonia, with 197,600 more employed, Madrid, 160,500 and Andalusia, with 130,800, while the number of employed workers decreased in Castilla y León, with 4,400 fewer, La Rioja, with 2,700 and Melilla, with 2,000 fewer employed.
In the fourth quarter, the largest increases in employment were in Madrid, with 67,600 more employed, the Basque Country, 22,200 and the Canary Islands, 19,100, compared to the largest decreases in the Balearic Islands, 94,400, the Valencian Community, 20,500 and Andalusia, 15,700.
Indefinite employment continued to grow in 2023 and increased by 804,200 people, while the temporary employment decreased by 140,300. In the fourth quarter, this trend continued, with an increase of 68,300 undefined workers, compared to a decrease of 152,500 temporary workers. In this way, the temporary rate continued to decrease to 16.49%.
The private sector concentrated most of the employment created over the last year, with the creation of 715,900 jobs, to exceed 17.6 million private jobs, compared to 67,100 in the public sector, which stands at almost 3.6 million jobs. In the last quarter of the year the occupation in the private sector decreased by 77,600 people and in the public sector increased by 58,600.
Full-time employment also continued to increase, with an increase of 695,400 people in the last year, well above part-time employment, which is growing by 87,600. In the fourth quarter, full-time employment decreased by 211,100 people and part-time employment rose by 192,100.
By gender, female employment has increased by 437,800 people in the last year and continued to grow in the fourth quarter, with 45,200 more women employed. For its part, the male occupation in year-on-year terms also rose, by 345,800 workers, but in the last quarter the male employment decreased by 64,200 workers.
Unemployment
Spain closed the year 2023 with a reduction in unemployment of 193,400 people (-6.4%), reducing the total number of unemployed to 2,830,600, so the unemployment rate was reduced to 11.7%, registering reductions in Industry, with 29,900 fewer unemployed, Agriculture, 21,300 and Construction, 19,100. It should be noted that during the last 12 months the number of people seeking their first job or leaving their job more than a year ago was reduced by 127,200.
During the fourth quarter of 2023, unemployment fell by 24,600 people. Por sectores, bajó en Industria, con 28.000 desempleados menos, seguido de Agricultura, con 24.000. On the contrary, it increased in the Services sector, 29,000 more and Construction, 6,800.
By Autonomous Communities, the largest decreases in annual terms occurred in Madrid, with 54,200 fewer unemployed, Andalusia, with 4,500 fewer, and the Basque Country, with 22,600 fewer, compared to the increase recorded in the Canary Islands of 27,300 people.
These figures were recorded after a last quarter in which the largest decreases were in Andalusia, with 50,900 fewer unemployed, Madrid, with 25,800 fewer unemployed, and the Basque Country with 21,100 fewer, compared to the largest increases in the Balearic Islands, with 33,600 more unemployed, the Valencian Community, with 23,000 more unemployed, and Catalonia, which added 20,900 unemployed.
The number of unemployed women fell by 93,000 in 2022 and by 100,400 among men. The number of unemployed women fell by 20,300 in the fourth quarter, to 1,530,000, and the number of unemployed men by 1,200, to 1,300,600.
In 2023, households with all unemployed members were reduced by 115,100 to 932,400 and households with all occupied members increased by 399,400 to 11,654,700.