In 2021, Ibiza had an average of 58,046 jobs, 10% fewer than in 2019

Last year, Ibiza had an average of 58,046 people affiliated to the Social Security, which is 3,400 higher than in 2020, the year the epidemic was proclaimed. Although job creation has recovered since the worst year of this health crisis, the island has yet to regain all of the ground lost since 2019, the year before the entry of covid in our lives: two years ago, the annual average of Ibizan contributions was 64,279, 6,233 higher than the year just completed. In other words, there were still 9.7 % fewer jobs in 2021.

Similarly, Formentera had an average of 4,109 employment in 2021, 366 more than in 2020 (9.7 %), but 310 fewer (-7 %) than in 2019, when it had 4,419 employees.

Between January and September of 2021, the number of affiliates in Ibiza was consistently down, sometimes substantially: in April, for example, there were 13,000 fewer jobs than in the same month in 2019; in May, 21,000; in June, 13,000; and in July, 9,000 less. However, there were significant signs of recovery as early as October, with 9,000 more jobs added in October, 500 more in November, and 1,800 more in December. In all three cases, historical records of enrollment during those times are available. The similar thing happened on Formentera, but just in October (800 more employment) and December ( 150). The rest of the year, this island’s employment was consistently lower than it had been two years before.

Similarly, the number of companies registered prior to the pandemic has not been equaled or surpassed. Last year, on average, 6,024 businesses were registered with Social Security, 282 more (4.9 %) than in 2020, but 328 fewer (-5.1 %) than in 2019. In Formentera, the same: in 2021, they had an average of 520 enterprises registered, down 5.4 percent from 2019 (30 companies less), but up 6 % (only 30 companies more) from 2020.

Companies experienced something similar to what happened with jobs: their number increased as the year went. Thus, there were 5,372 enterprises in Ibiza in December (the most recent figures from Ibestat), 231 more than in 2020 and 111 more than in 2019. This is the biggest number of registrations in a single month in the island’s history. In the case of Formentera, the figure was the same: 353 people were registered with Social Security in the last month of 2021, one more than the previous year and five more than the year before.

Trade has picked up momentum, with 1,008 new enterprises opening in Ibiza last December, an increase of 34 in a year

Construction enterprises are growing at an unstoppable rate, with 898 registered last December, 25 more than in 2020 and 21 more than before the epidemic. This industry, which has been the most dynamic during the crisis, supported 8,013 employment that month, about 1,000 more than a year before and nearly 700 more than two years ago.

It has regained steam (albeit not with the same vigour as the brick), the trade (retail and wholesale), which added 1,008 firms in Ibiza in December, 34 more than the previous year. There are two more for 2019. However, despite the increased number of enterprises, there are no more jobs than in 2019: wholesale commerce employed 2,110 people that month, 109 more than in 2020 and 70 fewer than two years before. Furthermore, the retail trade had 4,778 contributors, nearly a hundred fewer than before the pandemic.