Current press release at:https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/en/EPA4T24.htm
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28 January 2025

Economically Active Population Survey (EAPS)

Fourth Quarter 2024

Main Results

  • The number of people in employment increased by 34,800 compared with the previous quarter to 21,857,900. In seasonally adjusted terms, the quarterly variation rate was 0.83%. Employment has increased by 468,100 in the last 12 months.
  • Unemployment decreased by 158,600 persons to 2,595,500. In seasonally adjusted terms, it decreased by 3.63%. In the last 12 months, it decreased by 265,300 people.
  • The unemployment rate was 10.61% this quarter, 0.59 percentage points lower than the previous one.
  • The number of active workers decreased by 123,800, reaching 24,453,300. Over the past year, it increased by 202,800 people.

More information

The number of employed individuals increased by 34,800 in the fourth quarter of 2024, and stood at 21,857,900. The quarterly variation rate was 0.16%.

Variation of employment in the fourth quarter compared with the third of the same year

Thousands

By gender, employment decreased by 3,800 for men and increased by 38,700 for women this quarter. By nationality, it increased by 14,800 among Spaniards, including those who hold dual nationality, and by 20,000 among foreign nationals.

By sector, employment increased in Services (24,000 more), Industry (7,000), and Agriculture (3,200). And it remained virtually unchanged in Construction (600 more).

Full-time employment decreased by 230,200 people. Part-time employment increased by 265,000 people. On the other hand, the number of employees decreased by 75,800: those with permanent contracts increased by 111,000 and those with temporary contracts decreased by 186,800. The number of self-employed workers increased by 107,900.

This quarter, private employment decreased by 15,600 people, reaching 18,266,600. Public employment increased by 50,400, standing at 3,591,200.

In the past 12 months, employment increased by 468,100 people (2.19%), with increases of 260,700 among men and 207,400 among women. By sector, the largest increase was in Services (424,600 more persons employed).

In the past 12 months, full-time employment increased by 290,700 persons and part-time employment by 177,400. On the other hand, permanent employment increased by 589,400 people, while temporary employment decreased by 133,900.

Unemployment and unemployment rate

This quarter, the number of unemployed persons decreased by 158,600 to 2,595,500. The quarterly variation in unemployment was -5.76%.

Variation of unemployment in the fourth quarter compared with the third of the same year

Thousand

The unemployment rate decreased by 0.59 percentage points and stood at 10.61%.

By gender, unemployment decreased by 70,700 for men and 87,900 for women this quarter. The unemployment rate for women decreased by 0.71 percentage points, to 11.83%, and 0.49 percentage points for men, to 9.53%.

By nationality, unemployment decreased by 164,700 among Spaniards, including those with dual nationality, while it increased by 6,000 among foreigners.

Unemployment remained virtually unchanged in Construction (down by 200) and decreased in Services (down by 34,400), Agriculture (down by 16,200), and Industry (down by 12,100).

Unemployment decreased by 18,300 among those who lost their job over a year ago and by 77,400 among those who are seeking their first job.

In the past 12 months, the total number of unemployed decreased by 265,300 persons (98,300 men and 167,100 women). The annual variation was -9.28%.

By sector, unemployment decreased last year in Services (down by 100,000) and Agriculture (down by 1,900), and increased in Construction (1,200). In the Industry sector, it remained virtually unchanged (up by 700). On the other hand, the number of unemployed persons who lost their jobs over a year ago decreased by 109,100 and the number of unemployed persons looking for their first job decreased by 56,200.

Economically active population and activity rate

The active population decreased by 123,800 people in the fourth quarter of 2024, standing at 24,453,300. The number of active women decreased by 49,200, while that of active men decreased by 74,600.

By nationality, the number of active people decreased in the last quarter by 149,800 among Spaniards, and increased by 26,000 among foreigners.

The activity rate decreased by 0.55 percentage points, reaching 58.49%. Among Spaniards, it decreased by 0.54 percentage points to 56.88%, while that of foreigners decreased by 0.79 percentage points to 68.54%. The different age structure is the main reason for the difference between the two.

In annual terms, the economically active population increased by 202,800 persons. The annual variation rate was 0.84%.

Households

Households where all active members are unemployed decreased by 21,100 this quarter, to 833,500. On the other hand, households with all economically active members employed increased by 105,400 to 11,903,400.

In the last 12 months, the number of households with at least one economically active member in which those members were unemployed decreased by 94,700, while those where all active members were employed increased by 249,900.

Results by autonomous communities and provincial data

The largest increase in employment this quarter was recorded in Comunidad de Madrid (81,900 more). And the largest decrease in Illes Balears (-64,300).

In relative terms, the largest quarterly increase was recorded in La Rioja (4.39%).

In terms of unemployment, the largest decrease was recorded in Cataluña (-44,600). And the largest increases were in Illes Balears and Región de Murcia (9,800 in each).

Comunidad Foral de Navarra (6.60%) recorded the lowest unemployment rate this quarter. Andalucía (15.76%) had 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 variation rate of employment was 0.83%.

Quarterly variation rate of seasonally adjusted employment

Percentage

As regards seasonally-adjusted unemployment results, a decrease of 3.63% was observed.

Quarterly variation rate of seasonally adjusted 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.

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