Spain's Workforce Hits Record 22.5 Million in July, Fueled by Foreign Worker Regularization

Spain's labor market achieved a new milestone in July, reaching a record 22.5 million affiliated workers. This figure represents an increase of 41,727 workers compared to June, marking a significant expansion in employment.

The surge in job numbers was notably driven by a substantial influx of foreign workers. Following an extraordinary regularization process initiated by the government, foreign employment grew by 66,046 individuals in July, bringing the total number of foreign workers to 3.5 million, which constitutes 15.6% of the overall workforce.

Of the foreign workers regularized, 262,475 were affiliated with the Social Security system as of July 30. The regularization process concluded on June 30. Among these newly integrated workers, 60.3% were men and 39.7% were women.

Interestingly, the increased participation of these regularized foreign workers in the job market also contributed to a rise in registered unemployment. In July, the number of registered unemployed individuals stood at 2,311,499, an increase of 19,517 from June. However, this figure remains the lowest for a July since 2007.

Unemployment also saw increases in the services, construction, industry, and agriculture sectors. Despite these fluctuations, the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migrations, Elma Saiz, highlighted that Social Security affiliations have grown by 642,562 over the past twelve months. She emphasized the "essential role" foreign workers play in the labor market's dynamism, noting an increase of 420,875 foreign affiliates compared to the previous year.

“

Foreigners play 'an essential role in the dynamism of the labor market'.