Spain’s job market continues to show encouraging signs, with unemployment falling again in March and reaching its lowest level for this month in 18 years.
According to the latest figures from Spain’s Public State Employment Service (SEPE), the number of registered unemployed people fell by 22,934 in March, a drop of 0.9% compared to February.
That brings the total number of unemployed people in Spain to 2,419,712, marking a significant improvement in the country’s labour market.
Strong improvement
The picture becomes even more positive when looking at the year-on-year figures. Compared to March 2025, unemployment has fallen by 160,426 people, a decrease of 6.2%.
The seasonally adjusted data also shows improvement, with unemployment falling by 15,534 people, reinforcing the overall downward trend.
Services sector leads the drop
The biggest improvements came in the services sector, which typically
benefits from increased tourism and seasonal activity ahead of Easter and the summer months.
- Services: down 18,852 people (-1.1%)
- Construction: down 5,846 people (-3.4%)
- Industry: down 1,482 people (-0.8%)
Unemployment rose slightly in:
- Agriculture: up 365 people (+0.5%)
- No previous employment: up 2,881 people (+1.3%)
Unemployment falls for both men and women
Unemployment among women dropped by 14,841, bringing the total to 1,458,572, the lowest March figure since 2008. Compared to last year, female unemployment has fallen by 95,206 (-6.1%).
Male unemployment also declined, falling by 8,093 to 961,140 men. Compared to March 2025, this represents a decrease of 65,220 men (-6.4%).
Youth unemployment also improved slightly. The number of unemployed people under 25 fell by 431, leaving a total of 188,977 young jobseekers, the lowest figure ever recorded for March.
Regional unemployment trends
Unemployment fell in 14 autonomous communities, with the biggest drops
recorded in:
- Andalucía: -8,836
- Cataluña: -3,777
- Comunidad Valenciana: -2,467
Figures remained relatively stable in:
- Canary Islands: +843
- Madrid: +342
- Basque Country: +179
More contracts signed in March
The number of contracts also increased significantly. A total of 1,311,070 contracts were signed in March, 144,469 more than the same month last year.
Of these, 576,532 were permanent contracts, accounting for 44% of all agreements.
