The ongoing regularization process for migrants has propelled Spain's employment figures to unprecedented levels in October, with Social Security affiliation growing by approximately 187,000 people. This surge established a new historical record of more than 22.6 million workers registered as active affiliates in the country. According to data from the Ministry of Inclusion, the global balance stands at an average of 22,624,165 employed individuals affiliated with Social Security, while registered unemployment reached 2,422,633 people, marking the lowest figure for this month since 2007.
The regularization initiative has been a primary driver of these extraordinary figures. By the end of October, the number of foreign affiliates in active status resulting from this process reached 490,586 individuals. Since the procedure began in April, a total of 557,410 people have held at least one day of active affiliation. Colombia represents the largest share of these new affiliates at 27.6%, followed by Venezuela with 15.7%. Demographically, 60% of these regularized workers are men and 40% are women, with Catalonia and Madrid accounting for 39% of the total increase between them.
Foreign employment continues to show strong dynamism, adding nearly 64,000 affiliates in October alone and raising the percentage of foreign workers to 16.4% of the total. The record-breaking affiliation figures also reflect new highs across various categories: women surpassed 10.7 million, men approached 12 million, self-employed workers exceeded 3.5 million for the first time, and foreign workers neared 3.7 million.
Despite the rise in registered unemployment of 43,100 people—a figure higher than in recent years and double that of October 2025—government officials maintain that these numbers are not alarming. The Ministry of Labor suggests that for many, this period of unemployment is brief and largely bureaucratic as they transition to formal employment, often supported by incentives for companies hiring from the public employment service (SEPE). Over the last year, registered unemployment has actually decreased by 21,100 people, a reduction of 0.9%.
The acceleration in job creation pushed the annual growth rate to 3.6%, up from 3.4% the previous month, representing an increase of nearly 785,000 affiliates over the last year. On a seasonally adjusted basis, employment grew by 90,300 people in October. The construction sector led annual job growth with a 7.3% increase, followed by real estate activities at 5.8%, and artistic, sports, and entertainment activities at 5.3%. Additionally, the share of temporary contracts has dropped significantly to 12.1%, down from 28.3% in October 2021 prior to labor reforms, with the rate for workers under 30 falling to 19.9% from 51.7% five years ago.
Sources: elDiario.es.