Overview
- Government data released Tuesday showed Social Security contributors rose by 223,685 in April to 22,105,831, while registered unemployment fell by 62,668 to 2,357,044, the lowest since 2008.
- Services led the hiring surge and hospitality alone added about half of the new contributors as Easter travel boosted staff needs in bars, restaurants, and hotels.
- Every region reported month-on-month declines in registered joblessness, with Catalonia reaching 3.92 million affiliates, Madrid setting a record at 3.895 million, Galicia hitting 1.103 million, and Castilla-La Mancha surpassing 800,000.
- Women on payrolls neared a record 10.5 million and youth joblessness fell below 170,000, though women still account for a larger share of registered unemployed in many places.
- Unions and analysts welcomed the progress but urged caution, citing seasonal effects, the difference between monthly affiliation counts and the labor-force survey, and persistent issues such as temporary and part-time contracts.