Economically Active Population Survey. Q3/2025

The employed population in Catalonia grew by 2.3% year over year in the third quarter of 2025, reaching 3,950,600 people. In absolute terms, the year-over-year increase was 89,500 people. Compared to the second quarter of 2025, the number of employed people increased by 5,900 (0.1%).

By sector, in year-over-year terms, it grew in all economic sectors. The growth is led by industry (44,100 people; 6.9%), followed by construction (17,400 people; 7.4%) and services (16,800 people; 0.6%); the population employed in agriculture also increased by 11,200 people (24.7%). If compared with the previous quarter, the employed population rose in industry (13,200 people; 2.0%), in construction (9,200 people; 3.8%) and in agriculture (4,500 people; 8.7%). Conversely, the employed population fell in services (−21,000 people; −0.7%).

By sex, in year-over-year terms, the employment grew more among women (2.6%) than among men (2.1%). By age, the year-over-year increase in employment compared to the previous year was highest among the population aged 16 to 24 (6.0%), followed by the population aged 55 and over (4.2%) and the population aged 25 to 54 (1.4%). Compared to the previous quarter, the population aged 16 to 24 increased by 2.8%, but decreased in the group aged 25 to 54 and in the group aged 55 and over (−0.1%; in both cases).

By type of working day, in year-over-year terms, the employment increased in part-time employment (4.4%) and in full-time employment (2.0%). Among the salaried employees, by type of contract, indefinite contracts grew by 2.2%, while temporary contracts decreased by 4.6%.

The unemployment rate stood at 8.18%, with a total of 352,100 unemployed people (21,800 less than the previous year, representing a decrease of 5.8%). By sex, unemployment among men fell by 14.4% year over year (with a rate of 7.33%), and that among women grew by 3.4% (with an unemployment rate of 9.13%). By age, the most significant decrease was among the unemployed population aged 55 and over (−18.5%) %), followed by those aged 16 to 24 (−8.9%). Last, the number of unemployed population aged 25 to 54 decreased by 0.9% year over year.

Regarding specific sectors, the population employed in the cultural sector stood at 207,300 people (5.2% of total employment) and increased by 1.9% year over year and decreased by 8.1% quarter over quarter. By sex, the cultural sector employed 123,400 men and 83,900 women.

In the tourism sector, the employed population stood at 495,200 people, accounting for 12.5% of total employment. This figure represents an decrease of 7.6% compared to the second quarter of 2025 and decrease of 11.9% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. By sex, this sector employed 267,800 men and 227,400 women.

The ICT sector employed 172,100 people in the third quarter of 2025 (6.3% more than a year earlier and 1.2% more than the previous quarter), accounting for 4.4% of total employment.