September is usually the first month in which unemployment rises after the high season valley in Ibiza and the Balearic Islands in general. Tourist activity decreases, so less manpower is needed. However, it seems that this trend is gradually changing and September is increasingly becoming a high season month in terms of employment. Ibiza registered 2,584 unemployed in September, the lowest figure in history, just 133 more people than in August. On Formentera there were 111 people unemployed in September, 26 more than the previous month.
Percentage, the increase in august unemployment to September in Ibiza is the lowest registered in the historical series, 5.4%. Last year this increase was 12% with 430 more unemployed people, a percentage that, approximately, has been repeated for the last 15 years. It is not possible to speak of a trend, as this is the first year that this change has occurred so prominently, but it is a situation that occurs in all the islands except Formentera. In Menorca the increase in the number of unemployed was 3.5%, while in Formentera it was 3.5% in Mallorca, for the first time in its history, unemployment fell in September by 0.8%. The data for Mallorca led to a 0.8% drop in unemployment in September[] unemployment in the Balearic Islands rose by only 28 people with respect to the month of August.
This trend is also reflected in the yearly comparison of unemployment figures, which fell in Ibiza by 25.7% and in Formentera by 26.5%the Pitiusas marked the most significant drop in unemployment in the Balearic Islands.
By sectors, hospitality is the sector showing the largest percentage increase in employment, up 33% more than last year, followed by industry with 30% (although this is a residual sector in Ibiza) and commerce with 28%. By groups, the decline in unemployment was similar among women (26%) than among men (25%), although in total numbers there was more female unemployment (1,390 people) than men (1,194 people).
Full employment
The decline in unemployment was generalized throughout Spain, but much more pronounced in the case of the Balearic Islands, by 18%in the rest of Spain, only Ceuta and Aragon slightly exceeded a reduction of 10%. The unemployment rate in the Comunitat stood at 4.7%, which at an economic level is considered to be a situation of practically full employment (4%)when the entire population has the possibility of having a job.
The Minister of Enterprise, Employment and Energy of the Govern, Alejandro Sánz de San Pedroemphasized the relevance of these “historic figures”. “We would have to go back to 2006 to find similar data, and the most important thing: September is consolidated in terms of employment at August levels,” said Saenz de San Pedro.
She pointed out that the data “are a proof, once again, of the strength of our tourist industry, the locomotive of the activity and of the business and labor fabric of these islands, which has been able to recover from the challenge of the pandemic and to reach historic figures”.
Regarding the numbers of the Social Securityhas reached this September the figure of 616.789 contributors in the Balearic Islandsthis is the best figure for a September in the last 17 years.
“The trend continues to be upward and we see how the Balearic Islands is a leader in job creation, also in a month of September, compared to the rest of Spain.”
Given these figures, the annual variation launches an increase of 4.3% compared to September 2022, which was 591,408 contributors. Compared to August, when 633,234 contributors were registered, these data represent a decrease of 16,445 affiliates.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.