Unemployment rises in October, but still lowest for this month since 2007

Unemployment in Catalonia rose by nearly 3,000 people in October, an increase of 0.88% after a month of decline.

This brings the total number of unemployed to 334,839, still 1.43% lower than in 2023 and marking the lowest figure for October since 2007.

Despite the rise in unemployment, the number of people employed in Catalonia increased by 15,658 from September.

This brings the total number of active workers to 3.8 million, a new record for the Catalan economy, which has never had so many people employed in October.

The increase in unemployment in Catalonia was particularly evident in agriculture and among those seeking their first job.

Coinciding with the end of the tourism season, unemployment increased in all sectors of the economy except construction.

In Spain, there were 2.6 million unemployed, the lowest number for October since 2007, a similar trend to Catalonia.

All other autonomous communities reported an increase in unemployment, although the increase in Catalonia remained below the national average.

Although the pace of job creation remains in line with previous years, Catalonia created three times fewer jobs than Madrid.

Especially noteworthy is the increase in employment in two sectors: Education (+5.9%), followed by Arts and Entertainment (+5.4%).