The decline in unemployment in a month where permanent hiring decreased by 9.2% and temporary hiring by over 10% was led by the services sector. The number of registered unemployed individuals decreased by 67,420 in April compared to the previous month, with the services sector accounting for nearly three-quarters of the decline in unemployment. This data was published on Tuesday by the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy.
Following the drop in April, the total number of unemployed individuals stood at 2,512,718, the lowest figure in any month since July 2008, as highlighted by the Ministry.
The decline in unemployment last month exceeded the decrease in April 2024 (-60,503 unemployed), but did not reach the levels seen in 2023 (-73,890 unemployed) and 2022 (-86,260).
In any case, unlike in 2024 when Easter fell in March, April of this year did benefit from the typical employment effects during that time of the year.
Nevertheless, in seasonally adjusted terms, registered unemployment decreased in April, with a reduction of 11,327 individuals compared to the previous month.
Over the past year, unemployment has seen a decrease of 153,782 individuals, representing a nearly 5.8% drop, with female unemployment declining by 87,351 women (-5.4%) and male unemployment by 66,431 men (-6.2%).
### Services Drive the Decrease in Unemployment
By sectors, registered unemployment decreased mainly in services, with 49,660 fewer unemployed individuals (-2.6%), followed by construction (-3,817 unemployed, -2%); agriculture, which saw a decrease of 3,323 unemployed (-3.9%), and industry, where it dropped by 2,920 individuals (-1.5%).
Additionally, unemployment also decreased among individuals with no previous employment, with 7,700 fewer unemployed (-3.2%).
Unemployment decreased in both genders in April, with a greater decline observed among women. Specifically, female unemployment decreased by 38,291 women compared to March (-2.4%), while male unemployment decreased by 29,129 individuals (-2.8%).
### Men Drop Below One Million Unemployed for the First Time in 17 Years
As of the end of April 2025, the total number of unemployed women stood at 1,515,487, while the total for men totaled 997,231, dropping below one million for the first time since March 2008.
In terms of age groups, unemployment among individuals aged 25 and older decreased by 47,325 individuals in April (-2%), while that of young people under 25 decreased by 20,095 individuals (-10.2%), marking the largest drop in April in 24 years.
This resulted in the total number of unemployed individuals under 25 reaching historical lows for the month of April, with 177,429 individuals.
### Unemployment Decreases in All Autonomous Communities
Registered unemployment decreased in April in all autonomous communities compared to the previous month, particularly in Andalusia (-24,119 unemployed), Catalonia (-6,048 unemployed), and the Valencian Community (-5,271 individuals).
At the provincial level, unemployment decreased in 51 provinces, led by Seville (-5,629 unemployed), Malaga (-4,810), and Cadiz (-4,756), with only an increase seen in the autonomous city of Ceuta, which added 40 unemployed individuals compared to March.
On the other hand, unemployment among foreigners decreased by 9,689 individuals compared to the previous month (-2.7%), bringing the total number of unemployed immigrants to 352,697, which is 7,043 fewer than a year ago (-2%).
### 44.5% of Contracts are Permanent
In April of this year, 1,140,733 contracts were registered, a 10% decrease compared to the same month in 2024.
Out of these, 507,903 were permanent contracts, a 9.2% decrease from April 2024. In total, 44.5% of all contracts made in April were permanent, a percentage four tenths higher than the same month in 2024.
Within the permanent contracts, in April, 216,550 full-time contracts were made, an 8.7% decrease from the same month the previous year; 117,371 part-time contracts (-10.9%), and 173,982 fixed-term contracts (-8.6%).
Out of all contracts signed in April, 632,830 were temporary contracts, a 10.6% decrease from the same month in 2024. In total, these contracts represented 55.5% of all hiring in the fourth month of 2025.
### Coverage Rate Against Unemployment at 76.3%
The Ministry also reported that spending on unemployment benefits reached 2.085 billion euros in March 2025 (latest available data), a 7.3% increase from the same month in 2024.
The average monthly spending per beneficiary, excluding the agricultural subsidy in Andalusia and Extremadura, amounted to 1,315 euros in the third month of the year, a 19% increase from March of the previous year.
The average gross amount of contributory benefits received by beneficiaries in March was 1,005.3 euros, marking an increase of 24.4 euros compared to the same month the previous year (+2.5%).
The total number of beneficiaries of unemployment benefits stood at 1,625,892 individuals, a 9.4% decrease from the same month in 2024.
The coverage rate against unemployment, which was at 70.37% one year prior, reached 76.32% in March 2025.
Prestations data are always reported with a one-month delay compared to unemployment data, so the Ministry published the unemployment figures for April and the prestations statistics for March on Tuesday.
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