340,000 workers tied to Spain’s regularisation
Nearly 340,000 foreign workers registered with Spain’s social-security system were linked to an exceptional regularisation process at the end of August. In Madrid on Wednesday, the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Cepyme, said the measure is decisively shaping the latest employment figures. It says the surge cannot be read simply as evidence of a stronger economy.
The workers covered by the process represent 70% of the annual increase in foreign social-security affiliates, which rose by 482,490 people. They also account for half of the overall annual rise in affiliates, totalling 679,023.
Cepyme says the recent acceleration in employment stems from an exceptional measure rather than a boom across Spain’s productive economy. It warns that small and medium-sized businesses face a difficult final stretch of 2026 as geopolitical tensions push up the cost of supplies, especially energy.
The business group says smaller firms and energy-hungry industries are exposed, including chemical, steel, cement, glass and paper manufacturing. The primary sector is also facing high prices for diesel, fertilisers and plant-protection products.
Despite the August figures, Cepyme is concerned about the impact on employment in Ceuta, given the situation facing the Spanish city. It has again backed Ceuta’s business association, CECE, and called for a swift, coordinated response to restore security, confidence and full economic normality.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com