Counterflow characterizes how the province moved ahead to reach 832,300 working people in the last quarter of 2022, marking a new absolute record. This momentum came even as the national picture showed job losses while maintaining its pace of creation. Alicante closed the year with a 75,000-employee rise compared with the previous year. Agriculture was the lone sector to retreat due to a poor harvest. The quarter also saw the unemployment rate rise by 1.6 percentage points, a consequence of the growing active population.
In a setting where national job creation shows signs of fatigue, Alicante stands out with a positive trajectory. The Active Population Survey (EPA) for the fourth quarter of 2022 confirms that while the country lost 81,900 jobs, the province added 19,500 positions, contributing to what is described as the most employed year on record. The data illustrate a resilient local economy amid broader national uncertainty.
Across 2022, all sectors except agriculture posted gains. Services led the surge, driven mainly by a buoyant tourism sector and its ripple effects on hotels and dining. The year finished with 37,900 new service jobs, bringing the total in that sector to 618,900. Construction also expanded, adding 14,100 positions for a year-end total of 68,100, fueled by strong activity in housing sales. Agriculture faced a downturn with a loss of 4,500 jobs, with 14,200 workers remaining by year’s end due to adverse harvests caused by varied meteorological events.
Unemployment rose by 21,200 in the last quarter, leaving 149,300 unemployed and raising the rate to 15.21 percent, higher than both the state and regional averages. The inflation-driven increase in active population, from 940,800 to 981,700, explains much of this uptick, with a notable concentration of job seekers aligning with the Christmas hiring surge.
Within the Valencian Community, employment also increased, adding 27,300 jobs in the quarter to reach a total of 2,218,600 employed individuals. That figure stands 102,700 higher than in 2021, even as unemployment rose by 5,300 to 347,200.
José María Ruiz, Minister of Employment for l’Alacantí-Les Marines, CC OO, directly ties Alicante’s employment gains to the positive impact of labor reform. He states that reform translates into greater hiring stability and reduced turnover, contributing to a healthier labor market in the province.
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Yaissel Sánchez, the UGT general secretary for the same regions, also views the labor reform as a success given the results in a challenging year. She emphasizes wage adjustments in line with inflation, ensuring workers do not lose purchasing power and that employers adjust to the evolving economic environment.
Esther Guilabert, the secretary general of the Valencia Community Business Confederation (CEV), acknowledges the rise in employment but warns of continued volatility and uncertainty. She stresses the urgent need to support sectors and firms under sustained pressure from high energy costs and slowing market entries, urging targeted measures to sustain momentum.
Finally, Enric Nomdedéu, the Regional Employment Secretary, notes that the Valencian Community led job creation in 2022 despite inflation pressures and global economic uncertainty. The region’s employment gains reflect a broader trend of resilience and adaptation across the local economy.