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In January 2026, the national unemployment rate decreased to 10.9%, reaching its lowest level for this month since 2001. However, job creation experienced a deceleration, with an annual growth of 1.4%.

In 2025, the GDP of the Región de Murcia may have grown by 3.1%, with growth moderating to around 2.5% in 2026 and 1.8% in 2027. Looking ahead, economic activity will be shaped by high uncertainty regarding economic and trade policy, as well as the slow recovery in Europe.

Formal employment began 2026 with a monthly decline and the weakest start since 2009, confirming slower momentum. Low confidence and falling investment are holding back the recovery in employment, while real wages continue to support the wage bill and consumption.

Population aging will make immigration necessary in the coming years. This should be compatible with an effort to diversify the sources of growth.

The national unemployment rate stood at 8.9% in 2025, down from 10.2% in 2024, marking the lowest level on record since data have been available. This outcome occurred in a context where the labor force expanded (2.0%), while employment grew at an even faster pace (3.4%).

Social Security affiliation fell by 270,800 and registered unemployment rose by 30,400 due to seasonal factors. After adjusting for seasonality, job creation is estimated to have slowed further, to around 21,000 contributors, while unemployment declined by 19,000.

In 2025, formal employment grew by 1.3%; however, excluding digital platform workers, growth slowed to just 0.3%. Weak investment, deteriorating business confidence, and job losses in key sectors are constraining total wage growth and, in turn, household income.