Catalonia experienced a significant drop in its unemployment rate during March, reversing a three-month period of increases. The decline, largely attributed to the robust services sector and the Easter holiday period, signals a positive shift in the regional job market.
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The number of unemployed individuals in Catalonia decreased by 3,700 last month. This reduction was primarily driven by seasonal hiring within the tourism and hospitality industries. Social Security affiliation also saw a notable rise, adding over 32,000 people to the workforce.
This brings the total number of affiliated workers to nearly 3.88 million, representing a 0.84% increase from February. Year-on-year, the region has added 75,961 workers, marking a 2% growth in employment.
Catalonia’s Job Market Rebounds
Tarragona province demonstrated particularly strong growth in March. It created 7,431 new jobs, leading to a 2.17% increase in Social Security affiliations compared to February. Annually, Tarragona also recorded the highest number of new affiliations, with 9,697 additional workers, a 2.85% rise.
Across Catalonia, employers formalised 217,315 work contracts in March. Of these, 96,571 (44.4%) were indefinite contracts, while 120,744 (55.6%) were temporary. This represents a 16.1% increase in total contracts from the previous month, adding 30,181 new agreements.
Compared to the same period last year, contract formalisations grew by 7.7%, amounting to 15,627 more contracts. This surge in activity benefits residents across Barcelona and Catalonia, providing more job opportunities and economic stability.
Regional Employment Growth
The positive trend extends beyond Catalonia to other Catalan-speaking territories. The Valencian Community saw its unemployment figures fall by 2,467 people in March. This marks the lowest March unemployment rate in 18 years for the region, boosted by both Easter and the Fallas festival campaign.
Similarly, the Balearic Islands reported 26,518 unemployed individuals in March. The strong tourism season significantly influences their labour market, contributing to a continued downward trend in joblessness.
Wider Catalan-Speaking Regions See Gains
The sustained improvement in the job market, particularly in the services sector, suggests continued economic recovery. Officials will monitor these trends closely as the summer tourism season approaches, expecting further positive impacts on employment across Catalonia.
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Originally published by VilaWeb Feed. Read original article.
