Decrease in Unemployment in the Canary Islands
The number of registered unemployed individuals in the Canary Islands fell by 873 in August, representing a decrease of 0.58% compared to July. This brings the total number of unemployed to 150,215, the lowest figure since January 2008 and lower than the 172,483 recorded at the beginning of the legislature. The Canary Islands have seen a reduction in unemployment of over 22,000 since the start of the legislature.
Isabel León, the Deputy Minister of Employment for the Canary Government, expressed a positive assessment of the data, highlighting that “since the beginning of the legislature, unemployment has fallen by more than 22,000 individuals”. She also emphasised the year-on-year trend, noting that there are 12,830 more people employed than a year ago.
Demographic Trends
The predominant profile of those leaving unemployment in August consists of individuals over 45 years old. León pointed out that “the positive performance of the labour market in the Canary Islands is also having a beneficial impact on groups that are particularly affected by unemployment. The latest figures show that unemployment in this age group is at its lowest since September 2010.” Over the past year, it has decreased by 7,381 individuals.
Moreover, she confirmed that the number of long-term unemployed, defined as those searching for work for over a year, has dropped by more than 6,000 in the islands over the last year, although August saw a slight relative increase of 0.02%, with 14 more individuals unemployed.
“We will continue to focus on active employment policies that promote training, qualification, and integration into the labour market for all groups,” stated Isabel León, who added that “we are also managing to reduce youth unemployment rates.”
Sectoral Trends
Unemployment has shown a downward trend across all economic sectors in August, except for the industrial sector. In hospitality, there were 276 fewer unemployed individuals (-1.22%), followed by agriculture, which recorded a reduction of 111 (-4.39%), and commerce, which saw a drop of 34 individuals (-0.14%). Construction also experienced a decline, with 9 fewer unemployed (-0.07%). Year on year, unemployment contracted in each of these sectors.
Regional Developments
Compared to August 2024, unemployment fell across all the islands. Notably, El Hierro saw a decrease of 132 individuals (-19.61%), La Gomera by 214 (-19.26%), and La Palma by 756 (-11.57%). Other reductions were recorded in Lanzarote (-615 individuals, -8.00%), Gran Canaria (-5,487 individuals, -7.72%), Tenerife (-5,306 individuals, -7.57%), and Fuerteventura (-320 individuals, -5.44%).
Regarding the number of registered contracts, the deputy minister noted that “last month saw a total of 57,541 employment agreements.”
The Canary Islands have seen a reduction in unemployment of over 22,000 since the start of the legislature.
