Spain’s unemployment rate rose to 10.18% in Q3 2026, up from 9.87% in Q2 and above market expectations of 9.9%. The number of unemployed people increased by 95,900, or 3.8%, from the previous quarter, marking the largest rise for a third quarter since Q3 2020. Nevertheless, the unemployment rate was the lowest recorded for a third quarter since 2007. The number of unemployed people reached 2.591 million. Meanwhile, employment increased by 73,600, or 0.3%, marking the weakest gain for a third quarter since 2019. Despite the modest growth, total employment reached a record high of 22.852 million. The number of employed foreign nationals rose by 75,400, or 2%, while employment among Spanish nationals declined by 1,800. By sector, public employment increased by 89,900, while private-sector employment fell by 16,300. The labour force expanded by 169,500 to a record 25.443 million, pushing the participation rate up to 59.5%. source: National Statistics Institute (INE)

Unemployment Rate in Spain increased to 10.18 percent in the third quarter of 2026 from 9.87 percent in the second quarter of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Spain averaged 15.95 percent from 1976 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 26.94 percent in the first quarter of 2013 and a record low of 4.41 percent in the third quarter of 1976. This page provides the latest reported value for - Spain Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Spain Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on November of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Spain increased to 10.18 percent in the third quarter of 2026 from 9.87 percent in the second quarter of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Spain is expected to be 9.80 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Spain Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 9.70 percent in 2027 and 9.20 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-07-28 07:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Q2 9.87% 10.83% 10.7% 10.5%
2026-10-27 08:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Q3 10.18% 9.87% 9.9% 10.1%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employed Persons 22852.60 22779.00 Thousand Sep 2026
Employment Rate 53.45 53.44 percent Sep 2026
Full Time Employment 19906.80 19662.40 Thousand Sep 2026
Job Vacancies 46.49 37.34 Thousand Sep 2026
Job Vacancy Rate 0.80 0.90 percent Jun 2026
Labor Force Participation Rate 59.52 59.29 percent Sep 2026
Labour Costs 119.51 114.78 points Jun 2026
Part Time Employment 2945.70 3116.50 Thousand Sep 2026
Population 49.57 49.13 Million Dec 2025
Unemployment Rate 10.18 9.87 percent Sep 2026
Wages 2512.68 2403.80 EUR/Month Jun 2026
Wages in Manufacturing 2867.95 2746.96 EUR/Month Jun 2026


Spain Unemployment Rate
In Spain, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
10.18 9.87 26.94 4.41 1976 - 2026 percent Quarterly

News Stream
Spain Unemployment Rate Back Above 10%
Spain’s unemployment rate rose to 10.18% in Q3 2026, up from 9.87% in Q2 and above market expectations of 9.9%. The number of unemployed people increased by 95,900, or 3.8%, from the previous quarter, marking the largest rise for a third quarter since Q3 2020. Nevertheless, the unemployment rate was the lowest recorded for a third quarter since 2007. The number of unemployed people reached 2.591 million. Meanwhile, employment increased by 73,600, or 0.3%, marking the weakest gain for a third quarter since 2019. Despite the modest growth, total employment reached a record high of 22.852 million. The number of employed foreign nationals rose by 75,400, or 2%, while employment among Spanish nationals declined by 1,800. By sector, public employment increased by 89,900, while private-sector employment fell by 16,300. The labour force expanded by 169,500 to a record 25.443 million, pushing the participation rate up to 59.5%.
2026-10-27
Spain Jobless Rate at 2008-Lows
The unemployment rate in Spain fell to 9.87% in the second quarter of 2026, the lowest since the first quarter of 2008, compared to 10.83% in the previous period and forecasts of 10.7%. The number of unemployed persons declined by 213,300 to 2.495 million, with unemployment falling in all sectors: services (-170,300), agriculture (-22,400), industry (-10,900) and construction (-5,400). Unemployment fell by 57,700 among people who had been out of work for more than a year, while it increased by 53,400 among first-time job seekers. By gender, the number of unemployed men fell by 67,900 while the number of unemployed women declined by 145,400. The female unemployment rate dropped to 11.02%, while the male unemployment rate fell to 8.84%. Meanwhile, employment increased by 486,00 to 22.779 million, rising in services (+394,000), construction (+60,000) and industry (+38,200) while falling in agriculture (-6,200).
2026-07-28
Spain Jobless Rate Rises in Q1
Spain’s unemployment rate climbed to 10.83% in the first quarter of 2026, up from 9.93% in the previous period, above market expectations of 9.8%. The number of unemployed persons rose by 231,500, reaching a total of 2.71 million. This seasonal spike follows the conclusion of the holiday period, a typical trend in the Spanish labor market. Employment figures saw a contraction, with 170,300 jobs lost, bringing the total number of occupied persons to 22.29 million. The services sector bore the brunt of the decline, shedding 228,400 positions, while industry showed resilience with 28,100 new roles. Despite the quarterly dip, the annual trend remains positive, with unemployment falling by 80,600 compared to Q1 2025. The Labor Force Participation Rate increased slightly to 58.86%, as the active population grew by 447,000.
2026-04-28