Catalonia tops four million workers for first time as unemployment hits 18-year low

Catalonia has surpassed four million workers for the first time on record, driven by summer hiring, according to official labour data for June.

Employment rose by 37,053 people compared with May, up 0.93%, and by 102,763 year-on-year, an increase of 2.63%.

It is the highest employment level ever recorded in Catalonia.

Unemployment fell slightly by 458 people to 307,169 jobseekers, the lowest level in 18 years.

The figure is down 0.15% on the previous month and 2.51% year-on-year.

Employment in Catalonia has now risen for five consecutive months.

Job creation in June was strongest in Lleida (up 2.86% on the previous month) and Girona (2.74%), followed by Tarragona (1.55%) and Barcelona (0.48%).

Unemployment in Catalonia has declined year-on-year across all provinces and sectors, with construction recording the sharpest fall, down 10.8%, over the past year.

Across Spain, employment also reached a record high of 22.4 million workers, with foreign workers accounting for 3.45 million of the total.