Murcia Hits Record Employment Level

The Region of Murcia said first-quarter employment reached a record 717,000 people, the highest figure in the region’s labor-force history. (carm.es) (ine.es) The figure came from Spain’s Active Population Survey, published April 28 by the National Statistics Institute, and topped the previous regional high of 711,500 recorded at the end of 2025. (ine.es) (laopiniondemurcia.es) Murcia had 40,900 more people employed than a year earlier, a 6.05% increase that the regional government said was the fastest relative jobs growth of any autonomous community. (carm.es) (sefcarm.es) Unemployment in Murcia fell to 87,200 people, down 1,200 from the previous quarter and 12,300 from a year earlier. The unemployment rate stood at 10.84%. (europapress.es) (murciadiario.com) The regional result landed against a weaker national backdrop. Spain as a whole lost 170,300 jobs in the first quarter from the previous quarter, leaving total employment at 22.293 million. (ine.es) That contrast sharpened Murcia’s standing: local media and regional officials said the region was one of the few places still posting a record employment reading in a quarter that is usually soft for hiring. (laopiniondemurcia.es) (carm.es) There was still a mixed signal inside the headline number. Murcia ended the quarter with fewer jobs than in late 2025, with employment down by 5,500 from the previous quarter even as the longer annual trend stayed positive. (orm.es) (laopiniondemurcia.es) Business and labor groups both pointed to the annual gains, though unions said the next test is whether the region can turn seasonal hiring into steadier work through the rest of 2026. (alcantarilladigital.com) (ugtmurcia.es) For now, Murcia has opened 2026 with more people working than ever before, even as Spain’s national labor market stumbled through the quarter. (carm.es) (ine.es)