Marina Alta jobs boom pushes unemployment to lowest level since 2008

The Marina Alta is enjoying one of its strongest jobs booms in almost two decades, with unemployment falling to its lowest level since 2008 as the region heads into another busy tourism season.

New figures released by the Ministry of Social Security, LABORA and the Marina Alta Observatory show that April brought a sharp rise in employment across the comarca, fuelled largely by Easter tourism and the early start to the summer season.

The region added 948 new Social Security contributors during the month, taking the total number of registered workers to 65,548 – the highest figure ever recorded for April in the Marina Alta.

At the same time, unemployment dropped to 7,468 people, marking the lowest level seen in the region since July 2008, before the global financial crisis transformed Spain’s labour market.

Tourism season sparks hiring surge

As expected, hospitality businesses were the biggest driver behind the employment boost. Hotels, bars, restaurants and tourism-linked services accounted for almost 600 of the new jobs created during April.

The Easter holidays, which fell between late March and early April this year, helped kickstart recruitment earlier than usual as businesses prepared for an influx of visitors to coastal towns including Dénia, Jávea, Calpe and Moraira.

Construction also recorded growth, adding around 80 new contributors, while retail businesses saw a smaller but still positive increase. Maritime and inland waterway transport also experienced a rise in hiring as activity along the coast intensified ahead of summer.

The latest figures continue a longer trend of economic recovery in the Marina Alta, which has now recorded 18 consecutive months of year-on-year employment growth.

Youth unemployment sees significant improvement

One of the most positive signs in the report was the fall in youth unemployment. Joblessness among under-25s dropped more sharply than the overall average, helped by seasonal tourism and service sector hiring.

However, the data also highlights ongoing challenges within the labour market. Women still represent the majority of unemployed residents in the region, accounting for more than 57 per cent of job seekers.

Older workers also continue to face greater difficulties finding employment, with people aged over 44 making up almost two-thirds of all unemployed people in the comarca.

Marina Alta outperforming wider trends

The Marina Alta’s strong performance mirrors wider improvements seen across the Valencian Community and Spain overall, where unemployment levels have also fallen to their lowest point since the late 2000s.

Even so, the Marina Alta appears to be outperforming many surrounding areas thanks to the strength of its tourism economy and continued demand for hospitality workers.

More than 11,000 contracts have already been signed in the region so far in 2026, with permanent contracts representing close to 70 per cent of all agreements – another sign of growing stability in the local job market.

Despite the encouraging figures, analysts warn that much of the growth still depends heavily on tourism and seasonal demand. Employment growth in April was positive, but more moderate than during the same period in 2023 and 2025, suggesting the labour market may now be entering a more stable phase after several years of rapid post-pandemic recovery.