Press Release 18/10/2023
MUNICIPAL ACTIVITY STATISTICS. 01/01/2022
The employment rate increased in all regions of the Basque Country in 2022
Nearly 4 out of 10 employed people worked in their municipality of residence
The employment rate of the resident population aged 16 and over in the Basque Country stood at 51.3% on 1 January 2022, an increase of 1.6 percentage points in respect of 2021, according to Eustat data. At regional level, all regions saw significant improvement compared to the previous financial year.
The region of Estribaciones del Gorbea topped the ranking with the highest employment rate, reaching 57.4%, a rise of 1.7 percentage points in relation to 2021. It was followed by Plentzia-Mungia with a rate of 55.9% and an increase of 1.4 percentage points compared to the previous year. In third place was Urola Kosta, with 55.8%, showing a rise of 2 percentage points.
By municipality, and taking their size into account, those with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants had a relatively high average employment rate (54.3%). This group included municipalities with significantly elevated rates such as Orendain (68.3%), Irura (66.9%) and Aduna (65.7%), as well as municipalities with the lowest rates such as Elantxobe (41.4%), Lanestosa (41.7%), Sukarrieta (42.3%) and Harana/Valle de Arana and Yécora/Iekora (both with 42.7%).
In the next stratum of municipalities, between 5,000 and 10,000 inhabitants, the average employment rate was 53.2%. At the top end, Astigarraga and Urduliz stood out with 68.3% and 60.7%, respectively. At the lower end of the scale were municipalities such as Balmaseda (46.6%), Lekeitio (46.9%) and Ondarroa (47.5%).
In the stratum of municipalities with a population of between 10,000 and 40,000 inhabitants, there was an average employment rate of 52.6%. Of particular note was Etxebarri with 62%, followed by Sopela with 58.2%. In the next stratum, municipalities with more than 40,000 inhabitants and fewer than 100,000, Errenteria had the highest employment rate (52.1%), followed by Irún with 50.5% and Barakaldo with 50.4%. The average for this stratum stood at 48.6%.
Lastly, as regards the capitals, Vitoria-Gasteiz had the highest employment rate, standing at 52.7%. Following more than 1.5 percentage points behind was San Sebastián, with a rate of 51%, and Bilbao took third place with an employment rate of 48.2%.
Nearly 4 out of 10 employed people worked in their municipality of residence
38.5% of employed people in the Basque Country worked in their municipality of residence. This proportion rose to 7 out of 10 employed people in Álava (69.3%), but fell in Gipuzkoa, where 4 out of 10 residents in employment worked in their municipality of residence (36.7%), as well as Bizkaia, where it was 3 out of 10 (30.5%). On the other hand, 51.3% of employed people worked in another municipality within their own province. These proportions stood at 60.1% in Bizkaia and 54.1% in Gipuzkoa. In Álava, this accounted for just 16% of the employed resident population.
6 out of 10 employed people had completed higher education
The level of education attained provides additional information when analysing employment and unemployment. At the time of the survey, 60.2% of the working population had completed a higher level of education, which includes advanced level vocational training (20.6%) and university education (39.6%). Among the unemployed population, this level of education represented 37.5%, with advanced level vocational training accounting for 16.5% and university education the remaining 21%. Furthermore, 39.1% of people out of work had only completed primary education or had no qualifications at all, while this percentage was much lower (19.6%) among the employed population.
Level of training attained by the employed and unemployed population of the Basque Country according to sex (%). 2022
| | Employed population | --Unemployed population |
| | Total | Men | Women | Total | Men | Women |
| | | | | | | |
| A.First stage of secondary and lower education (level 0-2) | 19,6 | 16,8 | 21,2 | 39,1 | 40,5 | 38,0 |
| 0.Less than primary | 0,4 | 0,3 | 0,3 | 1,6 | 1,5 | 1,7 |
| 1. Primary education | 2,2 | 2,0 | 3,8 | 6,3 | 5,6 | 6,8 |
| 2.Low secondary education: up to ESO and equivalent | 17,0 | 14,5 | 17,1 | 31,2 | 33,4 | 29,5 |
| | | | | | | |
| B.Second stage of secondary education and non-tertiary post-secondary education (level 3-4) | 20,2 | 18,7 | 22,0 | 23,4 | 23,8 | 23,0 |
| 3.Upper secondary education: Baccalaureate, intermediate vocational training and equivalent | 19,6 | 18,0 | 21,5 | 22,6 | 23,2 | 22,1 |
| 4.Non-tertiary post-secondary education: level 3 professional certificates and equivalent | 0,6 | 0,7 | 0,5 | 0,8 | 0,6 | 0,9 |
| | | | | | | |
| C.Higher education (including doctorate)(level 5-8) | 60,2 | 64,5 | 56,8 | 37,5 | 35,7 | 39,0 |
| 5.Higher vocational education and equivalents | 20,6 | 17,2 | 20,2 | 16,5 | 17,2 | 16,0 |
| 6.University degrees, diplomas and equivalents | 13,6 | 17,3 | 13,0 | 7,8 | 6,3 | 9,1 |
| 7.Bachelor's degrees, double degrees and master's degrees | 24,3 | 28,1 | 22,1 | 12,5 | 11,5 | 13,3 |
| 8.PhD level or equivalent | 1,7 | 1,9 | 1,5 | 0,7 | 0,7 | 0,6 |
Date October 18, 2023
Source: Eustat. Municipal activity statistics
When analysing gender differences in terms of employment and unemployment, we can see that 64.5% of employed men had attained higher education, a percentage that decreased in the case of women (56.8%). Among unemployed people, 39% of women had completed higher education, a proportion that dropped to 35.7% among men in the same situation.
In 197 municipalities the unemployment rate was lower than the average and in 7 it was below 3%
The unemployment rate of the population aged 16 and over saw a decrease in all regions between 2021 and 2022. In fifteen of these areas, the unemployment rates were below the average, which stood at 9.7%, a drop of 1.7 percentage points compared to the previous year. Standing out for their low unemployment rate were the regions of Urola Kosta (6.8%), Estribaciones del Gorbea (6.9%) and Montaña Alavesa and Alto Deba (7% in both cases). Meanwhile, the highest unemployment rates were recorded in the regions of Encartaciones, with 11.9%, and Gran Bilbao, with 11.5%.
Unemployment rate of the population aged 16 and over in the Basque Country by territory and sex (%). 2022
| | Unemployed population | 2022-2021 |
| | Total | Men | Women | |
| | | | | |
| Basque Country | 9,7 | 8,4 | 11,1 | -1,7 |
| | | | | |
| Historic Territories | | | | |
| Araba/Álava | 9,8 | 8,1 | 11,6 | -2,1 |
| Bizkaia | 10,9 | 9,7 | 12,1 | -1,5 |
| Gipuzkoa | 7,9 | 6,6 | 9,1 | -1,6 |
| | | | | |
| Districts | | | | |
| Urola-Kostaldea / Urola Costa | 6,8 | 5,5 | 8,1 | -2,0 |
| Gorbeialdea / Estribaciones del Gorbea | 6,9 | 6,1 | 7,9 | -1,4 |
| Arabako Mendialdea / Montaña Alavesa | 7,0 | 6,2 | 8,1 | -1,5 |
| Debagoiena / Alto Deba | 7,0 | 6,0 | 8,1 | -1,4 |
| Tolosaldea / Tolosa | 7,1 | 5,9 | 8,5 | -1,4 |
| Goierri | 7,3 | 5,6 | 9,3 | -1,4 |
| Donostialdea / Donostia-San Sebastián | 7,8 | 7,0 | 8,6 | -1,7 |
| Markina-Ondarroa | 8,2 | 7,8 | 8,7 | -2,9 |
| Durangaldea / Duranguesado | 8,4 | 6,6 | 10,4 | -1,7 |
| Plentzia-Mungia | 8,5 | 7,9 | 9,2 | -1,8 |
| Añana | 8,7 | 7,5 | 10,3 | -2,5 |
| Debabarrena / Bajo Deba | 9,1 | 7,0 | 11,4 | -1,6 |
| Arratia Nerbioi / Arratia-Nervión | 9,4 | 8,5 | 10,5 | -1,4 |
| Arabako Kantaurialdea / Cantábrica Alavesa | 9,5 | 7,4 | 11,7 | -2,5 |
| Gernika-Bermeo | 9,6 | 9,1 | 10,1 | -2,0 |
| Arabako Lautada / Llanada Alavesa | 10,0 | 8,3 | 11,7 | -2,0 |
| Bidasoa Behea / Bajo Bidasoa | 10,0 | 8,1 | 11,9 | -1,8 |
| Arabako Errioxa / Rioja Alavesa | 10,0 | 7,6 | 13,2 | -3,5 |
| Bilbo Handia / Gran Bilbao | 11,5 | 10,3 | 12,7 | -1,4 |
| Enkartazioak / Encartaciones | 11,9 | 9,6 | 14,4 | -1,2 |
Date October 18, 2023
Source: Eustat. Municipal activity statistics
With regard to the size of the municipalities, it was observed that the unemployment rate was lower in the strata of municipalities with smaller populations. Of particular note was the group of municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, with an unemployment rate of 8.1%. It was followed by the stratum of municipalities with 10,000 to 40,000 inhabitants, with 8.7%, and with one tenth of a percentage point more, the stratum comprising municipalities with 5,000 to 10,000 residents in the Basque Country, with an unemployment rate of 8.8%. With 11.3%, the stratum of between 40,000 and 100,000 inhabitants had an unemployment rate above the Basque Country average.
As regards the capitals, San Sebastián posted the lowest unemployment rate (7.7%), while Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bilbao had unemployment rates higher than the average for the Basque Country (10.1% and 12.5%, respectively).
A total of 197 municipalities recorded an unemployment rate below the average (9.7%), accounting for 78% of municipalities. At one end of the scale, 7 municipalities had an unemployment rate below 3%, which were (from lowest to highest): Gaintza, Zerain, Aduna, Albiztur, Kripan, Garai and Altzaga, all of which belong to the lowest population stratum of those mentioned, that of up to 5,000 residents. At the other end, there were 8 municipalities whose unemployment rate stood above 13% (from highest to lowest rate): Sestao, Balmaseda, Lanestosa, Oyón-Oion, Sukarrieta, Santurtzi, Elantxobe and Ortuella.
For further information:
Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Press service: servicioprensa@eustat.es Tel: 945 01 75 62