The unemployment rate drops below 14% for the first time in ten years, according to the Active Population Survey of the third quarter of 2019

• The number of employed exceeds 19.8 million people, the highest figure in the last 11 years
• Unemployment reduction continues to occur in a context of high growth of the active population, which stands at 23.1 million people
• Indefinite employment that reaches 12.3 million continues to rise, the highest figure in the entire series

Unemployment fell by 111,600 people in the last twelve months, standing at 3,214,400 (-3.36%), according to data from the Active Population Survey (EPA) published today by the National Statistics Institute (INE). With this reduction the unemployment rate falls below 14% (13.92%), the lowest in more than a decade.

This decline in unemployment occurs in a context of continued increase in the active population, which in the last year has increased by 234,700 people. Thus, the active population stands at almost 23.1 million, its highest level since the end of 2013.

The number of households with all unemployed assets has decreased in the last year by 73,700, while those with all their active members occupied have increased by 156,400.

The number of employed exceeds 19.8 million

The number of people employed in the third quarter of the year amounts to 19,874,300, the highest figure in almost eleven years. Employment increased by 346,300 people in the last twelve months, representing a year-on-year increase of 1.8%, lower by six tenths than the previous quarter.

It is therefore confirmed that employment is still being created and this creation is mainly concentrated in the private sector, with 285,200 more employed, and in indefinite hiring, with 387,900 more jobs. By sectors, occupancy increases in all, except Agriculture. Services registers 248,600 more employed, followed by Industry, with 90,100 and Construction, with 29,700.

By Autonomous Communities, in the last year the occupation in Madrid is increased, with 104,500 more employed, followed by Catalonia, with 68,500 and Andalusia, with 68,100. On the contrary, the greatest decreases in occupancy occur in the Canary Islands, 18,100 less employed and the Principality of Asturias, with 8,300.

In year-on-year terms, female employment recorded higher growth rates than male, with an increase of 2.1%. This has allowed the threshold of 9 million employed women to be maintained.

Increase the number of employees with an indefinite contract

In the third quarter of 2019, the number of employees with an indefinite contract increases, reaching 12,313,600, the highest figure in the entire historical series. It should be noted that in annual rate the growth of indefinite employment is above 3%, higher than the growth of total employment.

In the last twelve months full-time employment has increased by 270,900 people, representing 78.2% of the increase in total employment, and part-time employment at 75,400, 21.8%.

Quarterly evolution

The number of unemployed fell by 16,200 people in the third quarter of 2019. The percentage of variation with respect to the previous quarter is -0.50% and with seasonally adjusted series of 1.72%. In this period, the decrease in unemployment stands out among people over 55 years old (-19,500), among those aged 25 to 54 (-15,200) and among those who lost their jobs more than a year ago (-48,900).

The number of employees increased by 69,400 people in the third quarter of the year, 0.35%. In seasonally adjusted terms, the quarterly variation is 0.09%. The increase in employment is concentrated in young people between 20 and 24 years old and among those over 50. The bias rate decreases to 14%, thanks to the increase in 231,700 of full-time employed persons and a decrease of 162,300 Part-time employment.