Spain's Metal Sector Employment Hits 17-Year High

Spain's metal industries are reporting historic employment figures, showing their true strength. Employment has grown by 7.3%, with over 831,000 people now registered.

Juan Antonio Jiménez Arranz, president of Femete, highlighted these achievements, stating, "Being at the highest employment level since 2008 confirms that we are a strategic sector, capable of generating stability and a future even in complex times." He was commenting on the new "Metal in Figures" report, published by Confemetal. This Spanish Confederation of Metal Business Organizations includes 78 associations and federations, such as Femete, representing 220,000 companies, over 1.5 million workers, and 320,000 self-employed individuals.

The latest data shows that the sector employed 1,155,900 people in 2025. This is a 7.3% increase from the previous year, marking the highest figure since 2008. Social Security registrations are also climbing, with 831,441 people registered in October. This is an increase of 3,105 from the month before (up 0.4%) and 14,529 more than a year ago (up 1.8%). Furthermore, the unemployment rate in the metal sector has dropped to 2.7%, down from 3.3% in the previous quarter.

Given these positive figures, Femete's president stressed that "metal companies and professionals are responding with responsibility, innovation, and talent." He added that the rise in registrations and fall in unemployment show that "our industrial sectors continue to create quality opportunities and maintain a firm commitment to employment." However, he warned that this progress in jobs needs to be matched by policies that boost competitiveness and support industrial growth. This is crucial, he noted, because "we continue to face a high trade deficit that threatens our position in the markets."

While employment is at its best in over fifteen years, the report also highlights other trends. Industrial production in the metal sector grew by 0.9% in September, bringing the total growth for 2025 to 0.5%. Turnover, however, dropped by 5.1% in September, even though it saw a small annual increase of 0.8%. Jiménez Arranz concluded by saying, "The challenge now is to convert this employment record into a sustained process of industrial growth." He called for a strong commitment to technological upgrades, boosting exports, and supporting small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), especially micro-SMEs. The goal, he explained, is to ensure this positive employment trend leads to "more production, more competitiveness, and stronger industries, specifically in the Canary Islands."