's unemployment rate climbed to 10.18% in the third quarter of 2026, up from 9.87% in the previous three-month period. Data from the shows that while the total number of workers hit 22.85 million, the jobless rate remains volatile.
The 10.18% figure represents the lowest unemployment rate for a third quarter since 2008. Despite the quarterly rise, the Spanish labour market added 465,400 jobs over the last year, and the current rate is lower than the 10.45% recorded in the same period of 2025.
Employment grew by 73,500 people this quarter, the weakest absolute growth for a third quarter since 2019. This follows higher gains of 118,400 in 2025 and 138,300 in 2024. The EPA data does not differentiate between regular and irregular employment categories.