Balearic Islands continue to rack up employment records. Average Social Security enrolment across the islands reached 491,750 people in January, the highest figure ever recorded for this month, according to the latest official data. This represents an increase of 10,882 contributors compared with January last year, a year-on-year rise of 2.3%, in line with the national average.

From the Balearic Government, the Minister for Labour, Public Service and Social Dialogue, Catalina Cabrer, stressed that these figures confirm a structural shift in the archipelago’s labour market. “We are creating jobs even during the winter months, which allows us to say that de-seasonalisation is no longer just an objective, but a reality,” she said.

Compared with December, enrolment fell by 8,560 people (-1.7%), a similar trend to Spain as a whole, where the drop was 1.2%.

By scheme, the self-employed category totals 100,987 contributors, representing 20.5% of the total. This group grew by 2.3% year-on-year, with 2,233 more people than a year ago, although it recorded a monthly decline of 837 contributors (-0.8%). The remaining schemes account for 390,763 enrolments, with the same 2.3% annual increase and a monthly fall of 1.9%.

Unemployment falls by 5.1% over the year

The number of unemployed people stood at 28,045 in January, meaning 1,515 fewer jobseekers than a year ago (-5.1%). The administrative unemployment rate fell to 5.4%, four tenths lower than in January 2025.

On a monthly basis, unemployment fell by 1,260 people (-4.3%) compared with December, while in Spain overall it rose by 1.3%.

Uneven trend by island

By island, year-on-year unemployment fell in Mallorca (-5.8%), Menorca (-5.9%) and Formentera (-1.7%), while Ibiza was the only island to record an increase, up 1.8%.

Compared with the previous month, unemployment fell across all islands, most notably in Formentera (-16.1%), followed by Ibiza (-5.3%), Mallorca (-4.2%) and Menorca (-3.0%).

Women and over-25s lead the decline

By group, unemployment fell most among women (-5.5%), people aged over 25 (-6.2%) and Spanish nationals (-6.4%). By contrast, it rose among under-25s, up 2.6%.

By economic sector, unemployment fell in all sectors except agriculture (+1.1%), with the sharpest drops in construction (-12.2%) and among people with no previous employment (-6.4%).

Migration debate

In the context of the debate over the regularisation of migrants, the minister underlined that the Balearic Government’s policy focuses on improving employability for groups facing the greatest barriers to entering the labour market, especially people aged over 45 and the long-term unemployed, a group that has shrunk by 7% over the past year.