Monthly Drop in Jobless Numbers

Registered unemployment in the province of Barcelona fell by 0.3% in September 2026 compared to August, according to the Monthly Report on Registered Unemployment from the Diputació de Barcelona. The number of people registered as unemployed job seekers with the Public Employment Service stood at 246,812 by month-end. This makes Barcelona the only province in Catalonia to record a decline in unemployment for the month. The data was published on 2 October 2026 by the Diputació de Barcelona’s press office.

The decrease was led by the two largest sectors in the regional economy. Unemployment fell by 2.1% in services and by 1.3% in industry. These declines offset rises in other areas, particularly among those with no previous employment, where joblessness increased by 14.6%. Geographically, most regions saw reductions. Lluçanès recorded the sharpest drop at 5.1%. Only Barcelonès (+0.5%) and Maresme (+0.1%) saw slight increases.

The report supports Sustainable Development Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth, part of the UN’s 2030 Agenda.

Demographic Shifts

Unemployment decreased among women overall (-1.4%), especially for women aged 25 and over (-1.9%). In contrast, male unemployment rose by 1.3%, with the largest increase among men under 25, up 14.5%. Despite the monthly improvement, the total number of unemployed remains higher than a year ago. Compared to September 2025, unemployment is up by 2.4%. The jobless rate stands at 8.5%, slightly above last year’s 8.4%. Residents can access labour market data and support services via the Diputació’s employment portal.

Primary sources: diba.cat, carlos nogueira, ocupacio.diba.cat, Diputació de Barcelona. Reported by mataroinfo.com.