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Diari de Catalunya

Unemployment Falls Across Catalan Countries Driven by Services and Easter

The region of Tarragona stands out with a significant increase in Social Security affiliations and the creation of new jobs.

Generic image of two hands shaking over a desk, symbolizing labor agreements.
IA

Generic image of two hands shaking over a desk, symbolizing labor agreements.

The month of March 2026 has marked a positive trend in the labor market of the Catalan Countries, with a generalized reduction in unemployment, mainly driven by Easter holiday hirings and the services sector.

In Catalonia, the number of unemployed people decreased by 3,700 during March, breaking a three-month consecutive upward trend. This decline is largely attributed to the boost from the services sector. Concurrently, Social Security affiliation has seen a significant growth of over 32,000 people, reaching nearly 3.88 million workers, representing an increase of 0.84%.
In a year-on-year comparison, Social Security affiliation in Catalonia has increased by 75,961 workers, 2% more than in March 2025. The region of Tarragona has shown particularly high dynamism, with a 2.17% increase in affiliation compared to the previous month, adding 7,431 new jobs. Year-on-year, Tarragona also leads with 9,697 new affiliations, a 2.85% increase.
Regarding hiring, 217,315 employment contracts were formalized in Catalonia during March. Of these, 44.4% (96,571) were permanent and 55.6% (120,744) were temporary. This figure represents a 16.1% increase (+30,181) compared to the previous month and a 7.7% increase (+15,627) compared to the previous year.
The positive trend extends to the Valencian Country, where unemployment has decreased by 2,467 people, consolidating labor market improvement, reinforced by tourism activity and hirings for the Fallas festivities. With 288,162 unemployed, the Valencian Country records the lowest figure for a March in eighteen years. In the Balearic Islands, unemployment stood at 26,518 people, maintaining the downward trend and reaching historical lows for this time of year, thanks to the tourist season.

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