The Balearic Islands consolidates its position as the leading autonomous community in job creation and unemployment reduction in Spain, according to the latest Social Security affiliation and unemployment data for the month of April. The region recorded 587,353 affiliated individuals, representing a 3.2% increase compared to the same month last year, or 18,027 more affiliations. This growth clearly exceeds the national average of 2.3%. These figures are driven by the Easter holidays and the start of the tourist season.
From a monthly perspective, the rise in employment was even more notable, with a 12.0% increase in affiliations compared to March, equating to 62,884 new jobs. This growth places the islands at the top of the regional ranking, far ahead of Andalusia, which came second with a 1.6% rise. Nationally, employment grew by 1.1% over the past month.
Unemployment data
In terms of unemployment, the archipelago recorded 26,626 jobseekers in April, representing a year-on-year decrease of 5.7% (-1,599 people). This decline was mirrored across the islands, led by Mallorca (-6.1%), followed by Formentera (-4.2%), Eivissa (-4.0%) and Menorca (-1.7%). In comparison, unemployment across Spain dropped by 5.8%.
On a monthly basis, unemployment in the Balearic Islands fell by 7.7% (-2,230 people), marking the sharpest drop in the country. Formentera led this decline with -14.0%, followed by Eivissa (-13.2%), Menorca (-9.4%) and Mallorca (-7.0%). By sector, monthly unemployment fell especially in hospitality (-16.2%) and retail (-8.3%), with the most affected groups being men (-8.1%), those under 25 (-23.7%) and non-EU foreigners (-14.0%).
The administrative unemployment rate stood at 4.3% in April, 0.4 points below the figure recorded a year earlier. Among the most positively affected groups year-on-year were women (-6.7%), people over 25 (-6.8%) and Spanish nationals (-6.9%). All sectors saw declines, particularly construction (-7.0%) and services not related to hospitality or retail (-6.5%). The only exception was the under-25 age group, which saw a 5.1% increase in unemployment.
Hiring and labour market dynamics
During April, 40,337 contracts were signed in the Balearic Islands, marking a 5.1% decrease compared to the same month last year. Although hiring dropped across all islands except Formentera, which rose by 27.8%, the sharpest decline was in Eivissa (-14.6%), followed by Mallorca (-3.5%) and Menorca (-0.04%).
By group, year-on-year hiring fell notably among women (-5.5%), those over 25 (-7.0%) and Spanish nationals (-6.8%). In contrast, it increased among people under 25 (+1.9%). By sector, agriculture (-39.3%) and construction (-21.6%) saw the largest declines, while retail (+4.9%) and hospitality (+0.6%) posted modest increases.
Compared to March, hiring rose by 37.9% (+11,092 contracts), with a particularly significant rise in Formentera (+176.5%). The groups with the highest monthly increases were women (+42.1%), people over 25 (+50.6%) and EU foreign nationals (+68.3%). By sector, hiring rose sharply in hospitality (+102.9%) and retail (+32.4%), but declined in construction (-24.4%) and industry (-12.9%).
The Balearic Islands continue to lead in the proportion of permanent contracts, with 79.4% of all contracts, well above the national average of 44.5%. However, compared to April last year, permanent contracts fell by 3.8%, while temporary ones dropped by 7.4%. The part-time hiring rate in the islands stood at 14.3%, compared to the national average of 20.6%.
Jobseekers and social protection
The number of jobseekers in the Balearic Islands in April was 66,118, representing a 1.8% increase (+1,169 people) compared to the previous year. This trend was observed across all islands except Formentera, where it fell by 1.1%. Eivissa saw the largest increase (+6.7%), followed by Menorca (+3.6%) and Mallorca (+0.9%).
Compared to March, the number of jobseekers fell by 34,341 (-34.2%). Eivissa recorded the largest drop (-48.5%), followed by Formentera (-43.2%), Menorca (-35.5%) and Mallorca (-30.7%).
As for the unemployment benefit coverage rate, it stood at 35.3% in April, 6.8 points below the figure recorded a year ago (42.1%).
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