Employment fell by 319,633 in June, the second worst figure of the year, and the employment deficit in the first half of the year reached 293,227 positions, according to the ENOE. Informality and the industrial sector lead the losses.
The Spanish labour market —and the Mexican one, according to data from the National Occupation and Employment Survey (ENOE)— recorded a drop of 319,633 jobs in June, the second most pronounced of the year, only surpassed by the collapse in January, when 705,427 jobs were lost. This negative trend was due to a contraction in both formal and informal employment, although the latter was more pronounced.
With the results from June, the employed population has accumulated a deficit of 293,227 people so far in 2026. That is to say, job creation in the first half of the year shows a negative balance, which poses a burden to meet the demand for work from a workforce that is growing at a rate of 1.2 million new jobs per year.
The drop in employment was accompanied by an increase in unemployment. In June, 77,843 people joined the unemployment lists, raising the unemployment rate to 2.9%, the highest level since September 2025. The Non-Economically Active Population (NEAP) also grew, with 285,856 more people than in May, concentrated in the group of those "not available" for work.
From January to June, labour inactivity has recorded a significant increase. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), more than one million people have joined the non-available population for work so far this year.
The reduction in employment in June is explained by a decrease of 19,707 formal jobs and a much greater contraction in the informal sector, which lost 299,926 positions. As a result, the informality rate fell slightly by 0.2 percentage points compared to May, standing at 55.0% of the employed population. However, in the first half of the year, informality has increased by 0.4 percentage points.
Industry and services, the hardest-hit sectors
The industrial sector suffered the largest job loss in June, with a reduction of 611,978 employed. Within this sector, manufacturing recorded the strongest contraction, with 482,652 fewer jobs, followed by construction, which lost 120,877 positions. Extractive activities and electricity also contributed to the negative figures, although to a lesser extent.
In the services sector, the decline was more moderate, with 78,923 fewer jobs. However, this overall figure hides a disparate behaviour: subsectors such as restoration (-320,303) and commerce (-277,588) suffered significant losses, while other tertiary activities managed to partially offset the decline with positive balances.
The only sector that recorded a positive balance was the primary sector. Agricultural, fishing, and livestock activities added 399,534 jobs in June, which not only allowed for the recovery of the jobs lost in May but also left a positive accumulated figure for the year.
"The drop in employment in June reflects the fragility of the labour market, which fails to generate the necessary positions to absorb the active population," sources from INEGI point out.
For workers, the situation translates into greater difficulty in finding formal and stable employment. The loss of positions in manufacturing and key services such as restoration and commerce particularly affects young people and less qualified workers. High levels of informality imply lower incomes and lack of social protection.
Looking ahead, the labour market should create around 1.2 million jobs per year to meet the growth of the workforce. With the accumulated deficit in the first half of the year, the target seems difficult to achieve. The coming months will be crucial to determine whether the negative trend is reversed or consolidated.
The ENOE data for July, to be published in the coming weeks, will allow for an assessment of whether the job loss moderates or, on the contrary, the labour market continues to deteriorate.
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