Unemployment surpasses 10% for first time in three years

Catalonia's unemployment rate has climbed above 10% for the first time in three years, with 435,600 people out of work, according to Spain's National Statistics Institute. The figure represents a 24% increase compared to the previous quarter and a 15.7% rise year-over-year, the highest increase since 2021.

Overall, the unemployment rate climbed by 1.88 percentage points in three months to 10.12%, returning to double digits after nearly three years below that level.

This is the sharpest first-quarter increase since 2009.

Gender and age 

Unemployment increased more among women in the latest quarter, while over the past year the rise was slightly higher among men. 

The unemployment rate stands at 9.52% for men and 10.79% for women. In both cases, these are the highest first-quarter figures in the last two years.

By age, the 25-54 group saw the largest annual increase, while youth unemployment fell year-over-year but rose compared to the previous quarter.

Regionally, unemployment rose most in Girona and Lleida. Barcelona saw a smaller increase, while Tarragona was the only province where it fell slightly, though it remains the highest.

Across Spain, unemployment rose to 10.83%, leaving Catalonia slightly below the national average.

Employment declines

Catalonia recorded the second-largest quarterly increase in unemployment among Spain's regions, behind the Balearic Islands, and one of the largest year-on-year increases, behind Navarre.

Employment fell by 1.18% compared to the previous quarter, with 46,200 fewer jobs. The decline was stronger among foreign workers.

The services sector saw the biggest job losses and remains the largest employer in Catalonia. 

Total employment stood at 3,867,000, still a first-quarter record since 2002, despite the quarterly drop. Year over year, employment rose by 0.44%.

Catalonia's labour force surpassed 4.3 million people, a new record.