The evolution of employment in recent months already indicated that overcoming the 21 million members in the spring was done. We just needed to know when it would take place, and after a March in which this milestone was approached, it was finally in April when this psychological barrier was overcome for the first time. It was clear, the month closed with 21,101,505 members, thanks to the increase of 199,538 jobs, 46% of which came from the hospitality industry.
On the other hand, unemployment data is also positive, with a reduction of 60,503 people in registered unemployment, bringing the total to 2.6 million, the lowest number of unemployed since September 2008 , that is to say, since before the financial crisis.
If we go to pams, analyzing the affiliation, the data is a record. Not only is the symbolic barrier of 21 million jobs exceeded, but in two specific days even 21.2 million were exceeded. In addition, the increase in memberships for the month, these almost 200,000 new jobs, represent one of the highest increases of the last months of April, with the exception of last year, which was even higher. An increase that is registered in practically all sectors, but especially in the hospitality industry. There are 92,000 new jobs in the tourist area and this despite the fact that this year not a single day of Holy Week has been included in the month of April. Hospitality is the main protagonist, but not the only one, because other sectors, such as those considered to have great added value (information and communication, professional, scientific and technical activities) added more than 8,000 affiliates. In addition, in an area with difficulties, such as manufacturing, the increase was 6,000 workers.
All of this draws a context of generalized increase in membership. It is true that a nuance can be added to this optimism. And it is that in seasonally adjusted terms, that is to say, separating the calendar effect, the increase of 40,000 jobs is positive, but smaller than that of February and March.
Job creation is more pronounced among women, with 103,000 new members, accounting for more than half of the new jobs. Women currently make up 47.4% of the total workforce, the highest percentage ever recorded.
“No one has stolen the month of April from employment,” said the Secretary of State for Employment, Joaquín Pérez Rey, paraphrasing Joaquín Sabina. Pérez Rey continues to keep April in a drawer, without losing sight of it, because it is a “magnificent” month, as he described it when he presented this data. A similar conclusion was reached by the Secretary of State for Social Security, Borja Suárez, who stated that “we are at a particularly sweet moment in the evolution of the labor market”. He also highlighted that the increase of 200,000 affiliates is the highest of the entire historical series of the months of April that did not include Easter.
In terms of unemployment, the reduction of 60,503 people is considerable, but lower than that of the same month in the two previous years, which recorded decreases in unemployment of 73,000 and 86,000 people respectively. Last month, the fall was widespread, it took place in all sectors, although with a special impact on services, in which 70% of the total reduction was recorded in absolute numbers. There are 42,000 fewer unemployed in this sector, followed at a long distance by construction, industry and agriculture.
The total number of contracts registered in April was 1.2 million, of which 559,000 (42%) were of an indefinite nature. Of these indefinite contracts, 40% were full-time; 25%, part-time, and 35%, intermittent fixed.
