Alicante’s economy shows resilience despite inflation and global uncertainties from the Ukraine conflict. The region has seen a sustained rise in new businesses and the growth of existing ones, boosting the total number of active companies.
By the end of April, Alicante registered 61,649 companies with salaried staff at the start of the year, nearly a thousand more than the previous year. This metric counts only firms with at least one employee and excludes holding companies that do not employ staff or are entirely self-employed. In short, these are businesses with real activity and at least one worker beyond the owner, underscoring a solid post-pandemic recovery and a strong occupational trend in recent months.
Nevertheless, the growth is not uniform across the province. Latest figures from the Valencian Statistical Institute, with data up to March, show that coastal tourist areas and the l’Alacantí region led in rising active turnover, while areas such as El Comtat, l’Alcoià and Medio Vinalopó registered negative figures.
The hospitality sector stands out as one of the fastest-growing activities.
Delving into municipalities, the city of Alicante topped earnings with 119 companies last year, reaching 11,322 firms with at least one salaried employee. Torrevieja follows, adding 99 new operational jobs to a total of 2,532; Orihuela reached 2,843 in total with 81 companies employing more staff than the year before; and Benidorm, after adding 80 positions in the last twelve months, now has 3,337.
On the downside, several municipalities saw declines: Banyeres lost 15 firms, Ibi shed 12, Pinos dropped nine, and seven others experienced reductions.
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sectors
This uneven evolution aligns with the sector mix driving the recovery in recent months. Overall, construction led activity through the first quarter, supported by ongoing promotions and housing deliveries. Construction-related firms rose by 183 compared with the previous year, with an additional 161 firms in related trades such as plumbing, plastering and electrical work, totaling 344 more companies.
In contrast, the services sector shows strength in the hospitality and food and drink industries, which together reached 8,587 companies, up about 230 since March 2022. Personal services, including hairdressing and tattoo enterprises, number 2,342, an increase of 114.
Conversely, the industrial sector experienced a downturn, with a notable retreat in trade-related firms.
More than 23,000 new workers were added to the workforce, pushing total employment in the province to 536,277. This implies an average of 8.6 employees per company in Alicante, reflecting a broader expansion of activity across the region.