The number of unemployed people registered with public employment service offices has increased by 21,884 people in August compared to the previous month, which represents an increase of 0.8% in percentage, according to data published this Tuesday by the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy.
Behind him August promotionMainly due to the service sector, the total number of unemployed rose to 2,572,121, the lowest figure for the month of August since 2008, the ministry said.
The August unemployment increase was the smallest for the month since 2016, when unemployment rose by 14,453 people, and the best August since 2021, when unemployment fell by 82,000 people.
Since the start of the comparable historical series in 1996, unemployment has decreased 23 times in August and increased six times, including in 2008, when it increased by 103,000 people due to the financial crisis. Conversely, the largest decline in August occurred in 2021, with 82,583 fewer unemployed people.
In seasonally adjusted terms, registered unemployment fell by 7,724 people in the eighth month of 2024.
Over the last year, unemployment has registered a decrease of 130,579 unemployed, which represents a decrease of 4.8%, with a decrease in female unemployment of 78,783 women (-4.8%) and a decrease in male unemployment of 51,796 men (-4.8%).
Unemployment increases among both sexes
By sector, unemployment only decreased in August. agriculturewith 2,337 fewer unemployed (-2.6%), and increased in the rest. The largest monthly increase was recorded in services, with 20,189 additional unemployed (+1.1%), followed by construction, which added 4,187 unemployed (+2.1%), and industry, where unemployment increased by 2,995 people (+1.5%). In the group with no previous employment, unemployment decreased by 3,150 people (-1.3%).
Unemployment increased in August almost equally among both sexes. Specifically, female unemployment increased by 10,913 women compared to the previous month (+0.7%), compared to an increase in male unemployment of 10,971 men (+1.09%).
Thus, at the end of the eighth month of 2024, the total number of unemployed women stood at 1,550,658 women, its lowest level in August within the historical series, while that of men stood at 1,021,463 unemployed.
By age, unemployment among young people under 25 increased by 1.2% in August, with 2,186 more unemployed than at the end of July, while unemployment among those aged 25 and over increased by 19,698 unemployed (+0.8%).
As of the end of last month, the total number of unemployed under 25 The number of unemployed stood at 177,112, a new historic low for the month of August, already recording 40 months of decline over a year, as the Labour Party points out.
Unemployment rises in 13 communities
Registered unemployment increased in August in 13 autonomous communities and decreased in four regions, particularly in Canary Islands (-443 unemployed) and Extremadura (-365 unemployed). The largest monthly increases occurred in Catalonia (+8,707 unemployed), the Valencian Community (+3,459) and the Basque Country (+3,298).
In the provinces, unemployment fell in 12, led by Malaga (-499 unemployed), Badajoz (-441) and Las Palmas (-298), and increased by 40, especially in Barcelona (+6,181 unemployed), Valencia (+2,189) and Vizcaya (+1,737).
For its part, registered unemployment among foreigners decreased by 2,075 unemployed compared to the previous month (-0.6%), bringing the total number of unemployed immigrants to 334,483, which represents 1,676 fewer unemployed than a year earlier (-0.5%).
Permanent hiring is decreasing
In August of this year, they registered 1,040,159 contractsalmost 4.5% less than in the same month of 2023.
Of these, 389,735 were permanent contracts, a figure 6.97% lower than a year earlier. In total, 37.47% of the contracts concluded in August were permanent, a percentage 1.2 percentage points lower than that recorded in July, when the proportion of permanent contracts was 38.71%.
Among permanent contracts, 163,674 full-time contracts were concluded in August, i.e. 4.8% less than the same month last year; 132,696 discontinuous permanent contracts (-13% over one year) and 93,365 part-time permanent contracts (-1.2%).
Of all the contracts signed in August, 650,424 were temporary contracts, or 2.9% less than in the same month of 2023. In total, these contracts represented 62.5% of the hiring carried out in the eighth month of the year.
During the first eight months of the year, nearly 10 million contracts were signed, 1.8% less than in the same period of 2023. Of these, 4.21 million were permanent contracts, 4.4% less, while 5.77 million were temporary contracts, 0.1% more than in the same period last year.
Coverage rate vs unemployment
The ministry also indicated that unemployment benefit expenditure reached 1,880.7 million euros in July 2024 (latest data available), 5.6% more than in the same month of 2023.
The average monthly expenditure per beneficiary, excluding agricultural subsidies, is Andalusia and Extremaduraamounted to 1,062.8 euros in July, i.e. 4.1% more.
The average gross amount of contributory benefit received per beneficiary was 949.7 euros last July, which represents an increase of 23.4 euros compared to the same month of the previous year (+2.5%).
The total number of unemployment benefit recipients stood at 1,804,488 people at the end of July, up 1.4% compared to July 2023.
The unemployment coverage rate, which a year earlier was 70.82%, stood at 75.55% in July 2024, the highest this month since 2010.
Benefits data always lags unemployment data by a month, so the ministry released unemployment figures for August and benefits statistics for July on Tuesday.
