In February, Spain's Social Security reported an increase of 97,004 registered workers, marking a rise in employment. However, this increase did not coincide with a reduction in unemployment, evidenced by a reported rise of 3,600 individuals without jobs. The total number of workers contributing to the Social Security system now stands at approximately 21.67 million, suggesting a mixed outlook for the labor market despite a rise in job registrations.

This year's February figures signify a decline compared to the previous two years, which saw larger increases in employment, with 100,340 and 103,621 people joining the workforce respectively in the same month. Still, the current employment increase is better than the historical average from 2019 to 2023, where February typically saw an average addition of only 66,300 registered workers. The latest figures indicate the third largest month-over-month increase for February employment since 2007.

The growth in jobs was primarily driven by sectors such as education, which added 31,200 workers, and hospitality, which also contributed significantly to the employment figure. While these sectors showed robust growth, the rising unemployment rate simultaneously suggests challenges remain within the labor market, calling for careful monitoring and perhaps policy interventions to support continuous job creation and management of employment levels in the face of economic changes.