The number of unemployed individuals registered in the Canary Islands‘ public employment services dropped by 11,428 people in September, a 6.7% decrease compared to the same month in 2023. This reduction brings the total number of unemployed in the region to 158,670, as reported by the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy.
In the monthly figures, the Canary Islands saw the largest reduction in unemployment across Spain, with a decrease of 4,375 people compared to the previous month (-2.7%). This marks the fifth consecutive month of falling unemployment in the region.
The current unemployment figure is the lowest for a September since 2007. Historically, since 1996, unemployment in the Canary Islands has decreased in September 21 times, compared to seven occasions when it increased. Last month’s decline was the largest since 2021.
Unemployment by Sector and Region
By sector, unemployment saw significant reductions in:
- Services: 3,921 fewer unemployed (-3.08%)
- Construction: 421 fewer (-2.87%)
- Industry: 186 fewer (-3.11%)
- Agriculture: 135 fewer (-4.76%)
However, unemployment rose among those without previous employment, with an increase of 288 people (+2.31%).
At the end of September, the largest number of unemployed individuals were in the Services sector (123,221) and Construction (14,224), while the sectors with the fewest unemployed were Agriculture (2,700) and Industry (5,786).
Unemployment by Gender and Age
Of the 158,670 unemployed, 91,345 were women, with a reduction of 2,929 (-3.1%), and 67,325 were men, showing a decrease of 1,446 (-2.1%).
While unemployment among young people under 25 rose by 472 (+5.7%), there was a notable decline of 4,847 (-3.13%) in individuals aged 25 and older.
Provincial Data for the Canary Islands
Unemployment fell across all provinces, with the most significant decreases occurring in Las Palmas (-2,377) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (-1,998).
Comparison across Spanish regions
In contrast to the decline in the Canary Islands, regions such as Andalusia (+7,720), Galicia (+2,314), and Extremadura (+1,953) saw increases in unemployment. Meanwhile, the Canary Islands, Catalonia (-4,060), and the Basque Country (-3,367) experienced the largest drops in unemployment.
Hiring Data
In September, 62,778 contracts were signed in the Canary Islands, an 8% increase compared to the same month in 2023. Of these, 27,734 were permanent contracts (up 0.6% from the previous year), and 35,044 were temporary contracts (a 14.6% increase).
Temporary contracts accounted for 55.82% of the total contracts in September, down from 58.74% in the previous month, while permanent contracts made up 44.18%, up from 41.26% in the previous month.
