The Chamber of Commerce of Spain estimates that throughout this year, employment will grow by 1.6%, which would translate into the creation of about 360,000 new jobs. The institution considers that the labor market continues to show a "solid" behavior after the data from the Active Population Survey (EPA) was released this Tuesday.
"The results of the EPA for the second quarter of 2026 reflect a labor market that continues to show the capacity for job creation, in this case favored by the seasonality typical of this time of year, characterized by the dynamism of activities linked to tourism and hospitality," the entity has pointed out in a statement.
In line with these forecasts, the Chamber calculates that employment will increase by 1.6% in the whole of 2026, which would imply the generation of nearly 360,000 additional jobs and would allow maintaining the unemployment rate below 9.8% of the active population.
On the other hand, the organization reminds that the current European macroeconomic scenario, in which the European Union (EU) "continues to lack dynamism," forces Spain to redouble efforts to gain competitiveness and sustain the pace of job creation.
In this context, the Chamber argues that "the objective should no longer be limited solely to the generation of new jobs, but also aimed at improving productivity through the incorporation of new technologies and artificial intelligence," and emphasizes that "it would be necessary to advance in strengthening the digital skills of workers and facilitate the dissemination of these new tools in the business fabric, with special attention to SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises)."
Likewise, the entity focuses on the adaptation of professional profiles to the real needs of companies to face the challenges of employment. In this regard, it emphasizes that it is "necessary to advance in a better connection between training and the needs of companies, as well as facilitate the incorporation of workers into those sectors where there is a shortage of labor." "At the same time, it is advisable to promote investment and business growth through greater legal security, a reduction of administrative burdens, and a more agile hiring framework with lower associated costs," it concluded.