Catalonia approves record €49bn budget
Three-year budget deadlock ends as ERC and Comuns back governing Socialists
Business
Business & economic news from Barcelona and Catalonia
Catalonia tops four million workers for first time as unemployment hits 18-year low
Summer hiring boosts labour market as jobless total falls slightly to 307,169
Gas stations estimate price increases of 3-10 cents per litre from Wednesday
Business association foresees that filling the tank will be more expensive this summer due to the end of subsidies
Spain raises 2026 GDP growth forecast to 2.6% despite war uncertainty
Government expects Spanish economy to expand by more than 2% annually over the next three years
Record exports figures for any month of April with 7.7% increase
Sales abroad exceed €8.7bn, while imports rise by 2.6%, up to €9.84bn
Spain approves €719m contribution to Catalan AI gigafactory project
Project in Móra la Nova will compete to host one of the EU's large-scale AI facilities
Increasing layoffs force thousands of workers to start from scratch
Unions say job losses down to “business decisions” rather than the impact of AI
Catalonia sees slight rise in inflation in May to 3.1%
Electricity and gas prices contain Spanish inflation at 3.2% in the face of rising fuel prices
Collserola park restrictions to remain 'until at least end of summer'
Sant Cugat floats idea of pilot reopenings as African swine fever containment efforts continue
With more than 120 studios, Barcelona is one of the world's biggest mobile video game hubs
Mobile now accounts for more than half of the video game industry's global revenue, according to new report
Barcelona has nearly 7,000 bar and restaurant terraces, up 6% compared to four years ago
Council granted 220 new licenses in 2025 and over a thousand since 2022
Catalan exports grow by 5% in March, reaching €9.25 billion
Imports down by 2% year-on-year, with €10.35 billion worth of purchases made
Inflation in Catalonia slows in April 2026, falling below Spanish average to 3%
VAT reduction on electricity and gas to return from June after national interest rate drops to 3.2%
Read the latest updates and breaking news on business and economic matters from Barcelona and Catalonia here. Keep up to date with how the Catalan economy is performing, inflation levels, employment and unemployment, major business mergers, important company announcements, and the latest on Catalonia’s biggest enterprises such as Vueling, Wallbox, Grifols, Mango, and plenty of start-ups and international firms based here too.