ACRONYMS National Statistics Institute
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28 April 2025

Economically Active Population Survey (EAPS)

First Quarter 2025

Main results

  • The number of people in employment decreased by 92,500 compared with the previous quarter to 21,765,400. In seasonally adjusted terms, the quarterly variation rate was 0.73%. Employment has increased by 515,400 in the last 12 months.
  • Unemployment increased by 193,700 to 2,789,200. In seasonally adjusted terms it decreased by 0.73%. In the last 12 months, it decreased by 188,700 people.
  • The unemployment rate was 11.36% this quarter, 75 hundredths more than in the previous quarter.
  • The number of active workers grew by 101,200, reaching 24,554,500. Over the past year, it increased by 326,700 people.

The number of employed persons decreased by 92,500 in the first quarter of 2025, standing at 21,765,400. The quarterly variation rate was -0.42%.

Variation of employment in the first quarter compared with the fourth of the last year

Thousands

By gender, employment among men decreased this quarter by 94,100, while among women it rose by 1,600. By nationality, it decreased by 144,500 among Spaniards, including those with dual nationality, and increased by 52,000 among foreigners.

By sector, employment increased in Agriculture (25,000 more) and fell in Services (112,300 less) and Industry (-4,400). And in Construction it remained virtually unchanged (-700).

Full-time employment decreased by 109,400 people. Part-time employment increased by 16,900. On the other hand, the number of employees decreased by 90,000: those with permanent contracts decreased by 9,800 and those with temporary contracts by 80,200. The number of self-employed persons increased by 1,400 persons.

There was practically no change inprivate employmentthis quarter (it fell by 300 people), to stand at 18,266,300. Public employment decreased by 92,200 to 3,499,100.

In the past 12 months, employment increased by 515,400 people (2.43%), with increases of 219,500 among men and 295,800 among women. By sector, the largest increase was in Services (368,400 more persons employed).

In the past 12 months, full-time employment increased by 381,000 persons and part-time employment by 134,400. On the other hand, permanent employment increased by 476,000 people, while temporary employment decreased by 40,600.

Unemployment and unemployment rate

This quarter, the number of unemployed persons increased by 193,700 to 2,789,200. The quarterly variation in unemployment was 7.46%.

Variation of unemployment in the first quarter compared with the fourth of the last year

Thousands

The unemployment rate increased by 75 hundredths and stood at 11.36%.

By gender, the number of unemployed men increased by 77,200 and the number of unemployed women by 116,500. The female unemployment rate grew by 88 hundredths to 12.72% and the male unemployment rate increased by 61 hundredths to 10.14%.

By nationality, unemployment increased by 147,900 among Spaniards, including those with dual nationality, while it increased by 45,800 among foreign nationals.

Unemployment increased this quarter in all sectors: Services (up 124,900), Industry (21,100), Construction (13,700) and Agriculture (4,500).

Unemployment increased by 18,300 persons among those who lost their job over a year ago and by 11,200 among those who are seeking their first job. 

In the past 12 months, the total number of unemployed decreased by 188,700 persons (98,600 men and 90,100 women). The annual variation was -6.34%.

By sector, unemployment decreased last year in Services (down 103,600), Construction (-11,800) and Industry (-7,200). At the same time, it increased in Agriculture (up 1,800). On the other hand, the number of unemployed persons who lost their jobs over a year ago decreased by 58,400 and the number of unemployed persons looking for their first job decreased by 9,400.

Economically active population and activity rate

The economically active population increased by 101,200 in the third quarter of 2025 to 24,554,500. The number of economically active women increased by 118,100, while that of men decreased by 16,900.

By nationality, the number of active persons increased in the last quarter by 3,500 among Spaniards and by 97,800 among foreigners.

The activity rate increased by nine hundredths of a percentage point to 58.57%. Among Spaniards, it decreased by one hundredth to 56.87%, while that of foreign nationals increased by 53 hundredths to 69.07%. The different age structure is the main reason for the difference between the two.

In annual terms, the economically active population increased by 326,700 persons. The annual variation rate was 1.35%.

Households

Households where all active members are unemployed decreased by 49,500 this quarter, to 882,900. On the other hand, households with all economically active members in employment decreased by 121,700 to 11,781,700.

In the last 12 months, the number of households with at least one economically active member in which those members were unemployed decreased by 95,000, while those where all active members were employed increased by 236,700.

Results by autonomous communities and provincial data

The largest increase in employment this quarter was recorded in Comunidad de Madrid (14,800 more). And the largest decrease in Illes Balears (-42,400).

In relative terms, the largest quarterly increase was recorded in País Vasco (1.15%).

In terms of unemployment, the largest decrease was recorded in Región de Murcia (-4,400). The largest increase was in Cataluña (up 47,200).

Comunidad Foral de Navarra (7.49%) recorded the lowest unemployment rate this quarter. Extremadura (16.60%) had the highest.

At the provincial level, a summary of the results can be found in this document and all the information is available via this link.

Seasonally adjusted series

The seasonally adjusted quarterly variation rate of employment was 0.73%.

Quarterly variation rate of seasonally adjusted employment

Percentage

As regards seasonally-adjusted unemployment results, a decrease of 0.73% was observed.

Quarterly variation rate of seasonally adjusted unemployment

Percentage

The seasonally adjusted model and the employment and unemployment series can be found at this link.

Data revisions and updates

During 2025 the LFS will continue to use the CNAE-2009 classification of economic activities. The new classification CNAE-2025 will be implemented from the first quarter of 2026, the time set by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/137 to provide data with this classification for the labour force scope subject to Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

On the other hand, as of this first quarter of 2025, information will no longer be provided quarterly in the Working Conditions section, as the variables that make up these tables, related to atypical working patterns (working at home, evening, night, Saturday and Sunday) are again sub-sampled and will therefore only be exploited annually. In the second quarter of 2020, the periodicity of these variables was changed to quarterly on an extraordinary basis to analyse the effects of COVID-19. However, after the pandemic, they return to their previous periodicity (annual), despite the fact that Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/256 requires publication only in odd-numbered years.

The data published today are final. All the results of this operation are available at INEbase.

Methodological note

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) has been carried out since 1964. Its current methodology from 2021 onwards adapts the previous methodology to the new European Labour Force Survey regulations.

It is a continuous, quarterly research activity addressed to families, whose main purpose is to obtain data on the labour force and its various categories (employed, unemployed), as well as on the population outside the labour market (inactive).

As of the third quarter of 2009, the survey includes an additional sample in Galicia that is collected by the Galician Statistics Institute (IGE) using the same fieldwork system and methodology as the INE.

Type of survey:
quarterly continuous survey.
Population scope:
population residing in family homes.
Geographical scope:
the entire national territory.
Reference period of the results:
the quarter.
Reference period of the information:
the week before the interview.
Sample size:
The number of census tracts was 5,298, of which 288 were the additional sample from Galicia. The average number of homes selected per section was 14. Currently there are around 55,000 dwellings and 130,000 people.
Sample type:
two-stage stratification in the first stage units, i.e. census tracts. The second-stage units are inhabited family dwellings.
Collection method:
personal, telephone and web interviews.

For more information, you can access the methodology and the standardized methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information in Quality at INE and Code of Best Practices.

For further information see Inicio INEbase Official INE account on @es_ine
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