Press Release 23/04/2025

SURVEY ON POPULATION IN RELATION TO ACTIVITY. I/2025

The unemployment rate remained at 7% in the first quarter of 2025, after the number of employed people in the Basque Country fell by 5,400 and the number of unemployed people decreased by 1,300

Last year, the number of people in work increased by 8,500 and the unemployment rate fell by nine tenths of a percentage point, from 7.9% to 7%

Data from the first quarter of 2025 on the labour market in the Basque Country showed 5,400 fewer employed people and 1,300 fewer unemployed people than in the previous quarter, according to Eustat data. There were an estimated 74,300 unemployed people and the figure for people in work stood at 991,500 in the first quarter of 2025.

The unemployment rate of the Basque Country remained at 7% in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2024. As a result of the evolution in the employed and unemployed population, the activity rate, calculated on the basis of the population aged 16 and over, was 56% in the first quarter of 2025, three tenths down on the previous quarter.

By province and compared to the previous quarter, there were 2,900 fewer people in work in Gipuzkoa, 1,900 fewer in Álava and 600 fewer in Bizkaia. As regards to the capitals, there were 2,000 fewer people in work in San Sebastián, and 1,400 fewer in Vitoria-Gasteiz. However, there were 1,900 more people in work in Bilbao.

The fall in employment affected both men and women; there were a 3,400 fewer men in work and 2,000 fewer women. With regards to nationality, the number of foreign nationals in work fell by 6,600 (-6.5%), however, the number of Spanish nationals in work rose by 1,200 (+0.1%).

Employment fell in the services and primary sectors and rose in the construction sector and industry

The employed population in the Basque Country decreased by 8,600 (-1.2%) in the services sector and by 600 (-5.9%) in the primary sector. In contrast, in the construction sector it rose by 1,600 (2.8%) and in the industry sector it increased by 2,300 (1.2%).

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 70.7%. This rate fell to 73.2% among men and 68.3% among women, respectively, 0.7 and 0.3 percentage points down on the previous quarter. Amongst young people aged between 16 and 24, the employment rate increased from 27.8% to 29.4%, 1.6 percentage points higher than the previous quarter.

As regards nationality, the highest employment rate was recorded among Spanish nationals at 73%, down 0.2 percentage points in respect of the previous quarter; whereas for foreign nationals it fell by three points to stand at 55%.

By province, Gipuzkoa had the highest employment rate at 72.8%, 0.6 percentage points less than the previous quarter. Álava was in second place with 71.1% and a drop of 0.3 percentage points; and, lastly, in Bizkaia, the employment rate fell by 0.6 percentage points to 69.3%.

In relation to the types of contracts of salaried individuals, the number of people with permanent contracts increased by 3,000 in respect of the previous quarter and, in relation to the first quarter of the previous year, the increase was 23,100 people.

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

In the first quarter of 2025 it was estimated that there were 926,200 households in the Basque Country, of which a third did not have any active individuals, 1,100 fewer households than in the previous quarter. In almost six out of every ten households, all of the active individuals were in work, 8,400 more families. Furthermore, households where all active individuals were unemployed stood at 24,500, 2,500 fewer households than in the previous quarter.

The first quarter of 2025 posted an unemployment rate of 7%

The unemployed population in the Basque Country, i.e. individuals who are available for work, actively making enquiries and seeking employment, was estimated to be 74,300 in the first quarter of the year, 1,300 down on the previous quarter. The number of unemployed women, 36,800 individuals, decreased by 3,400, while the number of unemployed men rose by 2,200, reaching a total of 37,600 for the quarter.

The data for the first quarter of 2025 revealed an unemployment rate of 7%, remaining stable compared to the previous quarter. The female unemployment rate fell 0.6 percentage points to 7.1% and the male unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percentage points to stand at 6.8%. Amongst young people aged between 16 and 24, the unemployment rate was 13%, the same as the previous quarter.

With regards to nationality, the unemployed population figure decreased among Spanish nationals by 5,000, standing at 52,600. Among foreign nationals, unemployment increased by 3,700, to stand at 21,700 people out of work.

By province, in Álava, the number of unemployed people fell by 1,400 to stand at 9,900, and the unemployment rate decreased by 0.8 percentage points to stand at 6.1%. In Bizkaia, with 44,200 unemployed people, the number of people out of work remained stable, as did the unemployment rate which stood at 8%. In Gipuzkoa, as in Bizkaia, both the number of unemployed people, 20,200, and the unemployment rate, which stood at 5.7%, remained constant.

As regards the capitals, there were 800 fewer unemployed people in Vitoria-Gasteiz; while there were 300 more unemployed people in Bilbao and 900 more in San Sebastián in respect of the previous quarter.

According to EUROSTAT, the Statistical Office of the European Union, in February 2025 the deseasonalised unemployment rate of the European Union as a whole was 5.7% and that of Spain was 10.4%.

Compared to the first quarter of 2024, the number of people employed rose by 8,500 and the unemployment rate fell by 0.9 percentage points

Last year, in comparison with the first quarter of 2024, there were 8,500 more people in work, an increase of 0.9%. There were 4,300 more people working in the services sector; 4,000 more in the construction sector; and 1,000 more in the agricultural sector. There were 600 fewer people working in industry. Regarding unemployed people, the number of people out of work in the Basque Country fell by 10,600 and the unemployment rate decreased by 0.9 percentage points (from 7.9% to 7%).

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

It is calculated that there were 940,700 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 914,600 individuals, according to criteria from the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Amongst those employed according to ILO criteria in the PRA, 44,300 people (4.5%) 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.

39.2% of unemployed people were not registered as being unemployed

It is estimated that there was a quarterly average of 90,100 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, 47.9% were unemployed according to the ILO definition (43,200 people). 39.2% of unemployed people according to the ILO definition in the PRA were not registered as unemployed with Lanbide (29,100 people), even though they may have been registered under other categories of job seeker.

Methodological note:

As in the first quarter of every year, Eustat has incorporated the newly available population data, which has meant revising the 2023 data, which becomes definitive, and the 2024 data, which goes on to be revised, with the population update obtained on 1 January this year. This has resulted in changes to the data for every quarter. For example, the unemployment rate for the fourth quarter of 2024, which was 7.1%, according to the provisional data, is now 7% following the revision.

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