An increase in unemployment in Catalonia
The situation of the labor market in Catalonia has undergone a worrying change. According to the most recent data from the Active Population Survey, unemployment has increased by 12,800 people between January and March. This means that the number of unemployed people in Catalonia has exceeded 396,000, with an unemployment rate close to 9.5%. This figure is five tenths higher than at the end of 2023, when unemployment was below 9 points. This negative trend places Catalonia as the fourth region with the largest increase in unemployment, led by Madrid. At state level, 117,000 new unemployed people have been registered, with an unemployment rate of 12.29%, the worst since the first quarter of 2020. This means that the Spanish labor market is approaching three million people again without a job.
The sectors most affected
As already observed in recent months, the services sector has been the most affected by the increase in unemployment in Catalonia. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics, during the first quarter of 2024, the number of people without work in this sector has increased by around 10,400, mainly due to the end of high tourist seasons, such as Christmas, and an intense autumn in Barcelona. The industrial sector has also seen an increase in unemployment, with more than 20,000 people affected in productive companies. In contrast, the construction sector has retreated, with nearly 3,000 people losing their jobs. The agricultural sector, although it has experienced a slight decrease of 200 workers, remains relatively stable.
A shaky quarter in a successful year
With this decrease in employment in different sectors, the number of employed people in Catalonia has reached 3.78 million. It should be noted that economic cycles usually affect the first quarter in terms of unemployment. Despite this, this number of employed people represents a record for this period of the year compared to historical data. Compared to 12 months ago, Catalonia has 5.35% more employed people, with more than 190,000 additional workers in this period. Only in quarterly terms, this figure is slightly reduced, with 17,000 fewer people employed between October and December.
It should be noted that the first version of the news contained errors in the data from the Active Population Survey.
