Alicante’s November labor picture shows a contradictory mix: fewer people registering as unemployed, yet limited progress in job creation across several sectors. Recruitment remained steady in industry, construction, trade, and education, while the total number of people on the unemployment rolls fell to 4,757, a decrease that places this month among the sharpest reductions on record. Nationwide, the only larger declines occurred in Valencia, which shed 8,260 unemployed workers, and Madrid, with a reduction of 7,757.
Overall, the registered unemployment count in the state edged down to 140,656, according to the latest release from the Ministry of Labor on Friday. Yet this decline did not translate into a meaningful uptick in job creation. Instead, social security contributions fell by 1,122, bringing the total to 712,186, a trend largely driven by weakness in the hospitality sector and related services.
It is a clear inconsistency: not every person who loses a job registers on the unemployment rolls, and some do not renew their registration in provincial offices. Seasonal workers from other regions come for tourist activity, students seek temporary summer jobs, and some individuals stop renewing registers once they exhaust benefits or secure a new position.
Thus, the analysis of average social security contributions reflects Alicante’s economy during November. The friendly sectors that added workers included Education and Industry, with Education reporting the most notable gains, adding 1,261 employed individuals in October after a building phase that created 829 jobs despite expectations of a market slowdown. The Manufacturing sector also contributed, adding 752 jobs in Alicante, while public transport, business services, and information processing activities supported a broader hiring wave across the public administration and related sectors.
End of tourist season
Despite these positive signals, they did not offset the drop in hospitality employment. The sector shed 4,752 jobs, moving the average monthly tally from 86,209 to 81,427. It is important to remember that October is a transitional month for many seasonal businesses, which often stay open only for the first two weeks to leverage the long weekend. In contrast, employment in health services declined by 801 on average during the same period.
Tourist pull and employment in Alicante
Even with the unemployment decrease, the sectoral shift remains evident. The reduction in the number of unemployed is welcome news, especially after three consecutive monthly increases. It is also notable that total employment, even with November’s dip, surpassed the figures from the same dates last year by more than 28,000 people.
Stable employment, reforms in effect
On the brighter side, labor reform appears to be producing steadier contracts. Of the 41,558 contracts signed last month, 22,470 were fixed-term or uncertain, while the ratio of stable contracts signed since the start of the year reached 257,679, representing 47.8 percent of the total. That share sits 9.5 points above the national average.
According to Labor Ministry data, October saw 72,910 unemployed individuals receiving some form of unemployment assistance through the Sepe program. Of these, 30,872 received contributions, 35,857 received subsidies, and 6,181 entered asset income programs.
Across the autonomous communities, the overall unemployment figure declined to 339,295, as 15,330 fewer people remained unemployed. This shift occurred alongside a rise in the number of social security contributors in Valencia and Castellón, which increased to 21,064 from the previous month and brought the regional total to 2,076,704.