The State Public Employment Service (Sepe) reveals that 1,826 positions have been vacant for at least 90 days in Galicia, an 82% increase compared to 2024. The mismatch between job supply and demand worsens despite record affiliations.
Galicia faces a record summer in affiliations, but with a growing gap between what companies seek and what candidates offer. According to the latest analysis from the State Public Employment Service (Sepe), at the end of 2025, the region had accumulated 1,826 hard-to-fill positions, those that have been unfilled for at least 90 days. This figure represents an 82% increase compared to the last quarter of 2024, surpassed only by Asturias (112.5%) and Castilla-La Mancha (114.8%).
The total number of vacancies in Galicia rose to 10,557 at the end of last year, a 33% increase compared to the previous year and an unprecedented figure. Of this total, the jobs that companies are unable to fill despite actively seeking them now represent 17.3% of the total. Sepe emphasizes that these figures reflect "the most visible expression of the existing mismatches between job supply and demand."
The context is paradoxical: the Galician community recorded an average of 1,133,326 contributors in the first half of July, nearly 10,300 more than in June, according to data from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. In Spain as a whole, the number of affiliates exceeded 22.5 million, with an increase of 280,400 people. The tourist boom boosts the figures, but the labour market continues to be burdened by a structural imbalance.
The Sepe report emphasizes that the difficulties in hiring "are not a residual phenomenon, but a relevant element for understanding the current functioning of the Spanish labour market." Across Spain, excluding the public sector, vacancies exceeded 95,300. Of these, 45.6% —almost one in four— had been unfilled for more than three months.
The public agency details that behind this situation lies a "complex interaction of economic, occupational, educational, territorial, and demographic factors." It is not just a matter of a lack of candidates, but that the available profiles do not match what companies require. "Some companies that report having no vacancies cite the high cost of hiring or the lack of candidates with the appropriate qualifications as reasons," the study points out.
The territorial distribution of hard-to-fill vacancies is uneven. Madrid tops the list with 11,133 positions, followed by Catalonia (10,309), Valencia Community (6,047), and Andalusia, including Ceuta and Melilla (2,985). Galicia, with 1,826, is in an intermediate position. Sepe warns that a high concentration "does not necessarily imply a greater intensity of the problem, as part of this situation responds to the larger size of their economies and labour markets."
For Galician companies, the lack of suitable candidates translates into prolonged selection processes and, in many cases, the abandonment of certain positions. The most affected sectors are those requiring specific training or prior experience, such as qualified hospitality, technology industry, or social and healthcare services. Temporary contracts and inflexible hours also play against them, according to sector sources.
The Sepe report arrives at a time when employment in Galicia shows signs of strength but also fragility. The community has recorded months of growth in affiliations, but unemployment remains high: the unemployment rate stands at 11.2%, above the national average. Experts point out that the solution lies in improving worker training and adapting curricula to the real needs of the productive fabric.
Looking to the future, Sepe recommends strengthening job orientation and training programmes, as well as promoting geographical and sectoral mobility. Meanwhile, Galician companies will have to continue competing for scarce talent in a market where a lack of experience and incompatible hours hinder the long-awaited job "match."
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