By Santiago Carneri
Copyright euroweeklynews
August usually brings a rise in unemployment as the summer tourist season winds down. Yet in Marina Alta the impact has been minimal this year. At the end of August 2025, unemployment increased by just two people compared to July, far below the national and regional average rise of nearly 1 per cent. The total number of jobseekers in the comarca now stands at 7,466, the lowest for an August since 2007, when the figure was 5,267, before the housing crisis.
According to the Observatori del Creama, Social Security affiliation dropped by 328 contributors last month, leaving 66,909 people in work. Both the small rise in unemployment and the decline in affiliation were softer than in August 2024, when 56 more people were jobless. In fact, this summer’s increase is also below the pre-pandemic average for the month, when unemployment typically rose by around 29 people.
The sectors losing the most workers were construction, with 123 fewer affiliates, and food and beverage services, which fell by 104. Other areas such as entertainment and education also contracted, but to a lesser extent. This reflects the strong seasonality of the local economy, with temporary jobs tied to the summer ending in August.
Despite the decline, Social Security affiliation remains above 65,000, supported by three consecutive monthly gains earlier this year. The fall was largely concentrated in the General Scheme, down 420 contributors, while the Special Regime of the Sea lost 68. In contrast, agricultural workers and the self-employed recorded increases of 94 and 66 respectively.
Job losses were uneven across the comarca, with Benissa seeing the biggest increase, up 16 unemployed. Overall, Marina Alta still registers 7.76 per cent fewer unemployed than in August 2024, underlining the resilience of its local economy.
A closer look shows women remain the majority of the unemployed at 4,215, but this is their lowest August figure in years. Youth unemployment also fell slightly, with just 263 under-25s jobless, the lowest in decades.
Contract quality also improved, with 2,452 signed in August, 68 per cent of them permanent. Thanks to labour reform, permanent hiring has surged by more than 260 per cent since 2021, reducing the temporary rate to just 31.6 per cent.
