Alicante has again set a new employment record for the third straight month, propelled by a tourism boom that pushed the total number of people employed to a historic 761,820. The rise in July was 4,866 positions higher than the previous month. The momentum came primarily from retail and hospitality, even as the educational sector faced a noticeable drop in Social Security affiliations with the school year ending. These positive local figures contrast with national trends in Spain, where overall registrations declined by 9,783 in the same period.
Tourism remains a cornerstone of employment in the province. The latest figures from the Ministry of Inclusion and Social Security show Alicante reinforcing its employment peak in July. The commerce sector contributed the most to this milestone, adding 3,810 new affiliates to reach 147,515, followed by hospitality, which added 2,029 and brought the total to 99,535.
Arts and entertainment also added to the gains, with 1,791 new affiliates lifting the total to 17,038. The manufacturing sector stayed mostly steady, posting a slight increase of 47 affiliates to 83,686, while agriculture rose by 44 to 4,754.
On the flip side, the educational sector saw a decline as the vacation period typically reduces the workforce, with 4,738 people, mainly teachers, leaving the Social Security rolls and lowering the total to 41,513. Construction also slipped by 358 affiliates, dropping to 59,199.
Overall, the results are encouraging. Year over year, Alicante shows 19,782 more employed people than in July of last year. When compared with Spain as a whole, the national figure fell by 9,783 to 21,383,106. Alicante also posted the strongest performance within the Valencian Community, where registrations increased by 1,986 to reach 2,160,211. Castellón added 2,508 affiliates to reach 257,241, while Valencia rose by 1,684 to 1,141,150, but the community’s overall balance still reflected a rise in unemployment for that month. These regional movements illustrate the uneven yet positive local impact of tourism and related sectors across the region.
Unemployment (Paro)
The unemployment picture in Alicante followed a favorable trend, though the gains were more modest than the Social Security figures. In July, unemployment decreased by 382 people, bringing the total to 124,889. The services sector, closely tied to tourism, accounted for a reduction of 307 unemployed, bringing that segment to 85,028. Industry fell by 97 to 14,902, and agriculture decreased by 40 to 3,928. Construction added 134 unemployed, reaching 11,341. In terms of those who had not previously worked, 72 people left the unemployment lists, leaving a balance of 9,690. On an annual basis, Alicante now records 6,042 fewer unemployed people than a year ago.
Within the autonomous community, Alicante again led in positive terms, while nearby Castellón reduced its unemployment by 250 to 33,876 and Valencia registered an increase of 1,684 to 153,454. The total for the Valencian Community rose by 1,052 to reach 312,219, while nationwide Spain saw a decline of 10,830 to 2,550,237. This month stands out as one of the strongest labor-market performances since the fall of 2008, underscoring the persistent impact of tourism and related services on regional employment.