Press Release 21/04/2023

SURVEY ON POPULATION IN RELATION TO ACTIVITY. I/2023

The population in work fell by 0.2% and the unemployment rate stood at 8.7% in the first quarter of 2023 in the Basque Country

In the last year, there were 5,600 more employed people, the number of unemployed people fell by 3,800 and the unemployment rate was down 0.4 percentage points

Data from the first quarter of 2023 on the labour market in the Basque Country showed 2,100 fewer employed people and 2,300 more unemployed people than in the previous quarter, according to Eustat data. There were an estimated 92,100 unemployed people this quarter and the figure for employed people was 960,800, down 0.2% on the fourth quarter of 2022. In the last year there were 5,600 more employed people and 3,800 fewer unemployed people.

The unemployment rate for the Basque Country stood at 8.7%, two percentage points more than in the fourth quarter of 2022. As a result of the evolution in the employed and unemployed population, the activity rate was 56.3% in the first quarter of 2023, down 0.1 percentage points on the previous quarter. In the last year, the unemployment rate fell by 9.1% in the first quarter of 2022 and 8.7% in the first quarter of 2023, down 0.4 percentage points.

By province and compared to the previous quarter, Bizkaia saw 4,400 fewer people employed, Gipuzkoa 200 and in Álava there were 2,500 more employed people. Regarding the capitals, in Bilbao there were 200 fewer people in work; however, employment increased by 1,700 people in San Sebastián and by 2,300 in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

The greatest decrease in employment occurred among women (-1,300), whilst there were 800 fewer men in work. With regards to nationality, the number of employed Spanish nationals fell by 1,500 (-0.2%), whilst the number of employed foreign nationals dropped by 600 (-0.7%).

Employment increased in industry and services and fell in the primary sector and construction

The employed population in the Basque Country was down 5,000 (-8.5%) in construction and fell by 1,100 (-11.8%) in the primary sector; however, industry saw an increase of 400 people (+0.2%) and services a rise of 3,600 (+0.5%).

The employment rate, calculated as the percentage of people in work aged 16 to 64 over the total for these ages, fell by 0.6 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, standing at 69.1%. This figure reached 72.4% for men and 65.9% for women.

As regards nationality, the highest employment rate was recorded among Spanish nationals, at 70.7%, down 0.6 percentage points in respect of the previous quarter, whereas for foreign nationals it remained at 56.5%.

By province, Gipuzkoa had the highest employment rate, with 71.2% and a decrease of 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous quarter; in second place was Álava with 69%, an increase of 0.3 percentage points in respect of the previous quarter; and, finally, in Bizkaia the employment rate fell by one percentage point to stand at 67.8%.

In relation to the types of contracts of salaried individuals, the number of people with permanent contracts increased by 4,400 in respect of the previous quarter and, in relation to the previous year, it rose by 60,500 people.

In six out of every ten households all the active individuals were employed and there were 2,500 more households where all the active individuals were unemployed

In the first quarter of 2023 it was estimated that there were 908,200 households in the Basque Country, of which a third did not have any active individuals, 2,100 more households than in the previous quarter. In almost six out of every ten households, all of the active individuals were in work, 3,900 fewer families; furthermore, households where all active individuals were unemployed stood at 32,200, 2,500 more households than in the previous quarter.

The first quarter of 2023 revealed an unemployment rate of 8.7%, 0.2 percentage points more than the previous quarter

The unemployed population in the Basque Country, that is, people who are available for work, actively making enquiries and seeking employment, was estimated to be 92,100 in the first quarter of the year, 2,300 more than in the previous quarter. The number of unemployed men, 45,100, increased by 2,000, whilst the number of unemployed women rose by 200, reaching a total of 47,000 for the quarter.

The data for the first quarter of 2023 reveals an unemployment rate of 8.7%, 0.2 percentage points more than the previous quarter. The unemployment rate for men rose by 0.4 percentage points to 8.3% and the unemployment rate for women stood at 9.3% (+0.1 percentage points).

With regards to nationality, the unemployed population figure increased among Spanish nationals by 2,200, to 67,700. Among foreign nationals it rose by 100, to 24,400 people out of work.

By province, in Bizkaia, the number of unemployed people increased by 2,600 and the unemployment rate was up 0.5 percentage points, standing at 9.8%. In Gipuzkoa, with 24,400 people out of work, the number of unemployed people rose by 500 and the unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 7%. In Álava, the number of unemployed people fell by 700 and the unemployment rate dropped half a point to stand at 8.8%.

As regards the capitals, there were 500 more unemployed people in Bilbao; however, there were 900 fewer unemployed people in Vitoria-Gasteiz and 1,400 fewer in San Sebastián in respect of the previous quarter.

According to EUROSTAT, the Statistical Office of the European Union, in February 2023 the deseasonalised unemployment rate of the European Union as a whole stood at 6% and that of Spain stood at 12.8%.

Over the last year, the number of employed people increased by 0.6% and the unemployment rate dropped from 9.1% to 8.7%

The employed population in the Basque Country increased by 0.6% in relation to the first quarter of 2022, 5,600 more people in work, and the unemployment rate decreased by 0.4 percentage points (from 9.1% to 8.7%), with 3,800 fewer unemployed people in the Basque Country compared to the first quarter of 2022.

97.2% of average registered workers were in work, according to ILO criteria

It is calculated that there were 923,700 registered workers for the quarter on average in the Basque Country, i.e. the number of individuals resident in the Basque Country who were registered for Social Security, weighted by the number of days worked in the quarter. Of those, the PRA estimates that 97.2% were employed, a total of 898,300 individuals, according to criteria from the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Amongst those employed according to ILO criteria in the PRA, 33,400 people (3.5%) were not registered in the Social Security system, because they belonged to public mutual societies for civil servants, or because they were in other situations.

38.7% of unemployed people were not registered as being unemployed

It is estimated that there was a quarterly average of 94,500 unemployed people registered with Lanbide, i.e. people residing in the Basque Country who were registered on Lanbide at the time of the survey in any one of the categories designated for registered unemployment. Of those, 55.9% were unemployed according to the ILO definition (52,900 people). 38.7% of unemployed people according to the ILO definition in the PRA were not registered as unemployed with Lanbide (35,600 people), even though they may have been registered under other categories of job seekers.

Methodological note:

As in the first quarter of every year, Eustat has incorporated newly available population data, which has modified and made definitive data from 2021, and from 2022, which are revised with the population update obtained on 1 January this year.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tel.: 945 01 75 62