Data from November reveal a contradictory trend in Alicante, where employment changes show a mixed picture across industry and service sectors. Recruitment campaigns continued in construction, commerce, and education, while unemployment listed 4,757 fewer people in some areas. Among the regions, Valencia recorded the largest declines with 8,260 fewer unemployed, followed by Madrid with 7,757 fewer than before.
The overall drop in the number of unemployed within the state reached 140,656, a figure that does not appear anomalous for this time of year. In fact, November is the only month since 2000 when unemployment has fallen. The dynamics in 2015, with a smaller reduction of 501 workers, and last year when certain restrictions were lifted, are also part of this broader pattern, cutting 9,817 people from the Labor offices list.
Nevertheless, fewer unemployed individuals did not automatically translate into more jobs. On the contrary, the number of people contributing to Social Security decreased by 1,122, reaching 712,186. This decline is largely tied to lower employment in the hotel and catering sector.
A terrace with a few clients in Benidorm marks November activity, illustrating the seasonal rhythm of the local economy.
It is a clear contradiction: not everyone who loses a job registers immediately for unemployment benefits or at provincial offices. Some workers migrate within the country for tourism seasonality, while students seek seasonal summer work and are not actively looking for new employment. At the same time, many unemployed individuals refrain from renewing registrations after benefits are exhausted or when a new job is on the horizon.
Analyzing the average volume of Social Security contributors helps describe Alicante’s October to November labor dynamics. The construction and education sectors showed growth, with 1,261 more employees in October after a period of expansion, and 829 new jobs created despite an expected market slowdown. The manufacturing sector added 752 positions, while public transport, business services, and information processing activities also contributed to the rise in employment in Alicante.
End of tourist season
Yet these gains could not fully offset a sharp decline in the hospitality sector, where 4,752 jobs disappeared, dropping the average membership from 86,209 to 81,427. It is important to remember these figures represent monthly averages, and November often sees seasonal businesses staying open only during the first two weeks to capture long weekends. Health sector employment also fell by 801 on average.
Tourist demand drives local employment fluctuations
Regardless, the reduction in unemployment remains positive, particularly after three consecutive months of rise. Even with November’s dip, the total number of employed people surpassed the previous year by more than 28,000 on the same date. This points to resilience in the regional economy despite seasonal pressures.
An employment service office in Elche serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to stabilize the market and support job seekers.
Stable employment
On the positive side, reforms in labor rules contributed to the mix. Of the 41,558 contracts signed last month, 22,470 were fixed-term, underscoring the larger share of flexible arrangements. Yet since the start of the year, stable contracts reached 257,679, constituting 47.8 percent of total agreements and standing 9.5 points above the national average.
The employment landscape drew commentary from unions that highlighted the favorable trend in unemployment, attributing part of the improvement to legislative reforms. The regional spokesperson for employment in Alicante emphasized that seasonal factors largely shape the province’s labor market but noted that reforms played a meaningful role in improving stability.
In discussing unemployment coverage, 72,910 unemployed individuals received some form of assistance in October. Of these, 30,872 received contributions, 35,857 received subsidies, and 6,181 entered additional income support programs.
A CC OO representative, Jose Maria Ruiz Olmos, suggested that the trend since the start of the year points to a stabilization of the labor market and cautioned against overestimating the impact of wage increases on production. The main concern remains the balance of collective bargaining amid broader economic slowdown.
Respondents noted that the overall trajectory remains positive, particularly given the regional slowdown. The Valencia regional government highlighted a historical drop in unemployment and an increase in Social Security affiliates registered at the community level. As a whole, the autonomous region saw unemployment fall to 339,295, with a concurrent rise in contributors in Valencia and Castellón to 21,064, signaling a more robust social security participation than in the previous month.