Spain’s unemployment rate rises to 10.18% in third quarter

Spain's unemployment rate rose to 10.18% in the third quarter of 2026, according to the Labour Force Survey from the National Statistics Institute. The rate was 9.87% in the second quarter.

The result was still below the 10.45% recorded in the same quarter of 2025. The survey counted 2,591,200 people without work.

That total increased by 95,900 over the quarter but fell by 22,000 over the year. The figures therefore show a short-term rise in unemployment alongside an annual fall.

Employment keeps growing

The number of people in work reached 22,852,600 in the third quarter. That was 73,600 more than in the previous three months.

Employment also rose strongly over the year. The survey counted 465,500 more people in work than in the third quarter of 2025.

The employment and unemployment totals can both move in the same direction because they count different groups within the labour market. The release gives the measured totals and changes but does not assign a cause to them.

Youth, gender and regional rates

The unemployment rate for people under 25 was 23.33%. It was lower than the 25.42% recorded one year earlier.

Women had a higher unemployment rate than men. The rate was 11.28% for women and 9.2% for men.

The highest regional rate was in Melilla, at 18.87%. Ceuta followed with 18.5%, while Andalusia stood at 14.91%.

At the lower end, the Balearic Islands recorded 4.63%. The Basque Country had 7.17% and Cantabria 7.56%.

These figures come from the EPA, a household survey run by INE. They are not the same as registered unemployment, which counts people signed on at public employment offices.

That distinction means the EPA and the monthly register can show different totals. The EPA is the source used throughout this article.

Source: INE Labour Force Survey (EPA).