Female employment in the Balearic Islands reaches 68.1%, the highest figure in the entire historical series and 4.4 points above the national average (63.7%). Over the last year it has also risen by 1.6 points, confirming the positive trend in women’s participation in the labour market across the archipelago.

female employment in the Balearic Islands

The Minister for Labour, Public Function and Social Dialogue, Catalina Cabrer. Photo: CAIB.

According to the report Women and the labour market in the Balearic Islands, produced by the Observatori del Treball de les Illes Balears (OTIB) and presented by the Minister for Labour, Public Function and Social Dialogue, Catalina Cabrer, women are strengthening their position with indicators that outperform those for Spain as a whole. Cabrer said the figures are positive and noted that “we value the progress of women in the labour market in the Balearic Islands. We have indicators that are better than the Spanish average and objective data that show a positive trajectory”. However, she stressed that “we are not satisfied” because there is still work ahead and the willingness to carry it out.

Higher activity and a stronger presence in the labour market

The female activity rate stands at 75.0%, 2.6 points above the national average (72.4%), placing the Balearic Islands as the fourth autonomous community with the highest female participation in the labour market.

Female Social Security affiliation accounts for 46.9% of the total. Year on year, it grows by 2.6%, and since 2019 female employment has increased at a faster pace than male employment (15.7% compared with 13.6%). The 2.5% rise in the self-employed scheme also stands out, reflecting the momentum of female entrepreneurship.

Job quality and the gender pay gap in the Balearic Islands

In terms of job quality, the female temporary employment rate stands at 15.7%, below the national average (17.6%), while the female part-time rate reaches 15.9%, well below the national figure of 21.4%.

The year 2025 ended with 15,572 unemployed women, representing 56.8% of the total, in a context of historic lows in registered unemployment.

In education, the figures are also strong: 52% of women aged 25 to 34 have higher education qualifications, compared with 34.6% of men. The female early school leaving rate stands at 7.5%, far below the 23.0% recorded among men.

As for the gender pay gap, using data for 2023, the Balearic Islands record a difference of 8.7%, the second lowest in Spain and well below the national average (15.7%).