Alicante province bumps up the employment figures in 2022’s first quarter

THE Valencian Community reversed the national trend by creating 39,900 new jobs during 2022’s first quarter.

The number of jobless fell by 37,900 to 317,800 out of work, and unemployment now stands at 12.8 per cent compared with Spain’s 14 per cent, figures from the National Statistics Institute (INE) revealed.

During this period, more jobs were created in Alicante than in any other province in Spain, with 34,900 new jobs and a total of 792,100 people in work.  This was the third-best figure for the first quarter since records began, not far behind 796,500 in 2007 and 795,300 in 2019.

The improvement was felt all round, although services came off best with 18.500 new jobs, bringing a total of 599,500 people working in the sector.

The UK’s decision to lift all Covid restrictions, which prompted the return of British tourists to the Costa Blanca, played a large part although this same pattern was not repeated in Malaga, Baleares or Las Palmas where jobs were lost during the first quarter.

Although the Ukraine war has had an indirect effect on Alicante province’s construction industry, the sector was the source of 9,500 new jobs during the first three months of this year, providing work for 63,500 Alicante province residents.  

Most of Alicante province’s new jobs – 30,500 or 87 per cent – went to women, with 4,400 for men.