This year-on-year decrease of 6.94% underscores the positive trend in job creation and economic recovery across the archipelago. The Deputy Minister of Employment for the Canarian Government, Isabel León, highlighted that these figures reflect the effectiveness of policies implemented during the current legislative term.
Regarding gender distribution, the reduction in unemployment was more pronounced among women, with 6,578 fewer unemployed females, representing a 7.28% decrease. Male unemployment decreased by 4,351 individuals, a 6.49% drop. Long-term unemployment also saw a significant decline, reaching its lowest level since January 2009, with 64,292 people in this category.
“"These data demonstrate the effectiveness of employment policies, especially in creating opportunities for groups with greater difficulties in labor market integration, such as the long-term unemployed."
By economic sectors, March 2026 showed varied behaviors. Monthly, increases were observed in Other Services (1.89%), Industry (1.83%), Agriculture (1.31%), and Hospitality (1.12%). In contrast, Commerce and Construction recorded decreases of 4.46% and 0.47% respectively. Year-on-year, all sectors experienced a decrease in unemployment, with Commerce (-11.06%) and Construction (-10.39%) showing the most significant drops.
The Director General of Labor, José Ramón Rodríguez, reported that 59,639 new contracts were registered in March, an increase of 11.5% compared to the previous month and 1.34% compared to the same period last year. The Hospitality sector led hiring in absolute terms with 2,034 new contracts, while Agriculture showed the largest percentage rebound with a 29.18% increase. Furthermore, the audiovisual sector and film activities in the islands grew by 18.84% with 415 new contracts. A significant 45.80% of the signed contracts were permanent, representing an 11.99% growth in this modality compared to March 2025.
