Number of contributors to Spanish Social Security system rises by 617,173 year-on-year, the largest rise in 12 years

In October, the number of new contributors stood at 94,368, the largest rise in a month of October in the last 12 years, together with the figure posted in October 2016.

The State Secretary for Social Security, Tomas Burgos remarked that, "This positive result derives from the buoyant trend of the General Regime - without including agricultural workers or domestic workers - which rose by 89,515 people (up 0.64%). This is the best result on record and is a clear expression of the positive performance by the central category of the system".

Once again, the number of female contributors to the Social Security system is noteworthy, setting another record to stand at 8,533,274 women in work. This accounts for 46.3% of all workers.

It is noteworthy that 581,475 jobs have been created in the last 10 months, 15.1% more than in 2016.

The seasonally-adjusted figure, which allows major trends that underlie the changes in the number of contributors to be tracked, shows growth in the month of 101,479 contributors, the highest increase in the year to date. This figure, together with the one recorded last October are the best figures on record for the months of October, which began 2001.

Monthly change

The General Regime posted a rise of 94,979 contributors (up 0.63%), to stand at 15,144,839. Noteworthy rises in contributor numbers in absolute terms were posted in October in Education, up 137,152; in Public Administration and Defence, compulsory Social Security, up 26,711; in Construction, up 17,779; in Artistic, Entertainment and Recreation Activities, up 13,901, and, to a lesser extent, in Manufacturing Industry, up 6,137. There were particularly noteworthy declines in the Hotel and Catering Industry, down 60,030; in Healthcare Activities and Social Services, down 33,888, and in Administrative Activities and Auxiliary Services, down 16,088.

The Special System for Agricultural Workers posted a rise of 4,834 contributors (up 0.64%), to stand at an average total of 755,833. In turn, the Special System for Domestic Workers rose by 630 (up 0.15%) to stand at a total of 420,067 workers.

3,217,902 contributors were registered under the Regime for Self-Employed Workers, following a rise of 1,630 people (up 0.05%) in the last month. A decline of 2,195 contributors was posted in the Special Regime for Seamen (down 3.25%), to a total of 65,309 workers. Finally, the Regime for Coal Workers posted a decline of 46 contributors (down 1.83%) to a total of 2,479 workers in October.

By autonomous region, the number of contributors rose in October in Madrid, by 32,219 (up 1.31%); in the Region of Valencia, by 38,607 (up 2.18%); in Andalusia, by 36,509 (up 1.25%); in the Basque Country, by 12,378 (up 1.34%); in the Canary Islands, by 7,892 (up 1.02%); in the Region of Murcia, by 5,211 (up 0.96%); in Navarre, by 2,033 (up 0.74%); in Castile and Leon, by 1,820 (up 0.2%); in Catalonia, by 1,702 (up 0.05%); in Extremadura, by 825 (up 0.21%) and in Asturias, by 451 (up 0.13%). It also increased in the Autonomous Cities of Ceuta, by 748 and in Melilla, by 365.

In contrast, declines were posted in October in the Balearic Islands, with 36,139 fewer contributors, in Castile La Mancha, down 10,869, in Galicia, down 2,356, in La Rioja, down 1,846, in Cantabria, down 1,716 and in Aragon, down 466.

Comparison with 2016

In year-on-year terms, October closed with an average of 617,173 more contributors (up 3.46%), which, together with October 2016, was the largest rise in a month of October since 2005. Specifically, the General Regime posted buoyant results, with a rise of 593,690 contributors, up 4.08%. This rise stands at 4.63% when looking at the General Regime in a strict sense (discounting the Special Systems for Agricultural Workers and Domestic Workers).

It should be noted that the rate rose by 0.74% under the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers, which translates into an increase of 23,642 workers. The Regime for Seamen rose by 0.24% (up 154), while the Regime for Coal Workers posted a decline of 313 contributors (down 11.21%).

Compared with last year, the number of workers has increased in all autonomous regions, except in the autonomous city of Melilla (down 338), and La Rioja (down 1,025). Particularly noteworthy were the regions of Catalonia, up 119,638, the Region of Madrid, up 115,377, Andalusia, up 109,577 and the Region of Valencia, up 78,943.

Non official translation