Press Release 17/10/2024

SURVEY ON POPULATION IN RELATION TO ACTIVITY. III/2024

The number of people out of work in the Basque Country fell by 3,400 and the unemployment rate dropped to 7.1% in the third quarter of 2024

With 4,500 more people in work, the figure for the number of employed people resident in the Basque Country reached 997,100, the highest quarterly result since 1985

Data from the third quarter of 2024 on the labour market in the Basque Country showed 4,500 more people in work and 3,400 fewer unemployed people than in the previous quarter, according to Eustat data. There were an estimated 76,700 unemployed people and the figure for people in work stood at 997,100 in this third quarter of 2024, which represented the highest quarterly result since 1985.

The unemployment rate of the Basque Country stood at 7.1%, four percentage points down on the second quarter of 2024. As a result of the evolution in the employed and unemployed population, the activity rate stood at 56.5% in the third quarter of 2024, one tenth down on the previous quarter.

By province and compared to the previous quarter, Bizkaia saw 3,900 more people in work, Gipuzkoa 2,500 and in Álava there were 2,000 fewer employed people. Regarding the capitals, in Bilbao there were 2,200 more people in work, in San Sebastián there were 600 more and in Vitoria-Gasteiz there were 3000 fewer employed people..

The highest rise in employment was among men (+6,100), whilst there were 1,600 fewer women in work. With regards to nationality, the number of foreign nationals in work increased by 3,800 (+4.2%) and the number of Spanish nationals in work rose by 700 (+0.1%).

The working population increased in all sectors, except the primary sector

The employed population in the Basque Country rose by 3,200 in the services sector (+0.4%), by 1300 in the construction sector (+2.4%) and by 700 in industry (+0.4%); however, the number of people working in the primary sector fell by 700 (-7.4%).

The employment rate, calculated as the percentage of people in work aged 16 to 64 over the total for these ages, rose by 0.2 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, standing at 71.1%. This rate rose to 74.7% among men and dropped to 67.6% among women, 0.3 percentage points down on the previous quarter.

As regards nationality, the highest employment rate was recorded among Spanish nationals at 73.1%, up 0.2 percentage points in respect of the previous quarter; whereas for foreign nationals this rose by 1 point to stand at 56.9%.

By province, Gipuzkoa had the highest employment rate, at 73.3%, an increase of five percentage points compared to the previous quarter. Bizkaia was in second place with 70.1%, increasing by 4 percentage points; lastly, in Álava, the employment rate fell by one percentage point to stand at 69.8%.

In relation to the types of contracts of salaried individuals, the number of people with permanent contracts increased by 6,800 in respect of the previous quarter and, in relation to the previous year, it rose by 33,200 people.

In six out of every ten households all active individuals were employed

In the third quarter of 2024 it was estimated that there were 923,600 households in the Basque Country, of which a third did not have any active individuals, 900 more households than in the previous quarter. In almost six out of every ten households, all of the active individuals were in work, 200 fewer families. Furthermore, households where all active individuals were unemployed stood at 27,200, 1,100 fewer households than in the previous quarter.

The third quarter of 2024 posted an unemployment rate of 7.1%

The unemployed population in the Basque Country, that is, individuals who are available for work, actively making enquiries and seeking employment, was estimated to be 76,700 in the third quarter of the year, 3,400 down on the previous quarter. The number of unemployed men, 37,800, decreased by 2,900, whilst the number of unemployed women fell by 500, reaching a total of 38,900 for the quarter.

The data for the third quarter of 2024 revealed an unemployment rate of 7.1%, 0.4 percentage points down on the previous quarter. The unemployment rate for men dropped half a percentage point to 6.8% and the unemployment rate for women remained at 7.6%.

With regards to nationality, the unemployed population figure decreased among Spanish nationals by 2,100, standing at 55,800. Among foreign nationals, unemployment decreased by 1,300 to stand at 20,900 people out of work.

By province, in Bizkaia, the number of unemployed people fell by 3,400 to stand at 44,400, and the unemployment rate decreased by 0.6 percentage points, standing at 8%. In Gipuzkoa, with 19,000 people out of work, the number of unemployed people fell by 700 and the unemployment rate was down 0.3 percentage points to 5.3%. In Álava, the number of unemployed people increased by 800 to stand at 13,400 and the unemployment rate rose by half a percentage point to 8.2%.

As regards the capitals, there were 1,200 fewer unemployed people in Bilbao, 500 fewer in San Sebastián and 1,000 more in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in respect of the previous quarter.

According to EUROSTAT, the Statistical Office of the European Union, in August 2024 the deseasonalised unemployment rate of the European Union as a whole stood at 5.9% and that of Spain stood at 11.3%.

Compared to the third quarter of 2023, the number of people employed rose by 2% and the unemployment rate fell by six tenths

Last year, in comparison with the third quarter of 2023, there were 19,300 more people in work, an increase of 2%. There were 14,300 more people working in the services sector; 5,800 more in industry; and 200 more in the primary sector. There were 1,000 fewer people working in the construction sector. As regards unemployed people, the unemployment rate fell by 0.6 percentage points (from 7.7% to 7.1%), which meant there were 4,500 fewer people out of work in the Basque Country.

96.9% of average registered workers were employed, according to ILO criteria

It is calculated that there were 933,700 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 96.9% were employed, a total of 904,800 individuals, according to criteria from the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Amongst those employed according to ILO criteria in the PRA, 42,300 people (4.2%) 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.

37% of unemployed people were not registered as being unemployed

It is estimated that there was a quarterly average of 89,600 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, 51.9% were unemployed according to the ILO definition (46,500 people). 37% of unemployed people according to the ILO definition in the PRA were not registered as unemployed with Lanbide (28,400 people), even though they may have been registered under other categories of job seeker.

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