Catalonia nears 4 million workers, but unemployment rate rises to 8.3%

Employment in Catalonia hit a new record of 3.99 million people in the third quarter, even as the unemployment rate rose by four-tenths of a percentage point to 8.3%, according to data from Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE).

The number of people in work is edging closer to the four-million mark: a total of 3,999,900 people were working in Catalonia between July and September, the highest figure on record.

However, during the summer, employment grew by just 2,100 people on the previous quarter, or 0.05%, its weakest third-quarter increase since 2013.

Year-on-year, the labour market added 49,400 jobs, an increase of 1.25% and the smallest annual rise since the summer of 2020.

Meanwhile, unemployment increased by 18,800 people, or 5.84%, to 361,800.

The number of people out of work was 2.75% higher than in the summer of 2025.