---
title: "Over 460,000 Under-25s in Spain Are Jobless as…"
canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/spain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan"
language: "en"
author: "drashtigarach"
published: "2026-09-28T08:48:37.000Z"
modified: "2026-09-28T09:08:26.813Z"
---

[Back to Blog](/blog)
[News](/blog/tag/news)[Jobs](/blog/tag/jobs)[Labor Market](/blog/tag/labor-market)[Europe](/blog/tag/europe)[Economy](/blog/tag/economy)
# Over 460,000 Under-25s in Spain Are Jobless as the Government Proposes 200,000 First Jobs by 2028

Spain counts 460,000 jobless under-25s and wants 200,000 in a first job by 2028. What the plan offers, who qualifies and what young job seekers can use now.

[![Drashti Garach](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/5719d740-e510-42bc-8017-e040d145f35f_1766029465094.png)Drashti Garach @DrashtiGarach](/blog/author/drashtigarach)

[September 28, 2026](/blog/archive/2026/09)14 min read

![Rows of empty blue chairs facing service desks in a bright public employment office](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/final-10380.jpg)

[https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Over%20460%2C000%20Under-25s%20in%20Spain%20Are%20Jobless%20as%20the%20Government%20Proposes%20200%2C000%20First%20Jobs%20by%202028&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Over%20460%2C000%20Under-25s%20in%20Spain%20Are%20Jobless%20as%20the%20Government%20Proposes%20200%2C000%20First%20Jobs%20by%202028&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan&title=Over%20460%2C000%20Under-25s%20in%20Spain%20Are%20Jobless%20as%20the%20Government%20Proposes%20200%2C000%20First%20Jobs%20by%202028](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan&title=Over%20460%2C000%20Under-25s%20in%20Spain%20Are%20Jobless%20as%20the%20Government%20Proposes%20200%2C000%20First%20Jobs%20by%202028)[mailto:?subject=Over%20460%2C000%20Under-25s%20in%20Spain%20Are%20Jobless%20as%20the%20Government%20Proposes%20200%2C000%20First%20Jobs%20by%202028&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan](mailto:?subject=Over%20460%2C000%20Under-25s%20in%20Spain%20Are%20Jobless%20as%20the%20Government%20Proposes%20200%2C000%20First%20Jobs%20by%202028&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan)

Spain counted [more than 460,000 young people out of work](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html) in the latest Labour Force Survey, and the government now wants to get at least [200,000 people under 25 into their first job by 2028](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html). The target sits in a [draft youth employment plan that the Labour Ministry put to unions and employers](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html) this month. Its measures [still have to get through negotiations](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html) with unions and employers before they can start. For [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) readers, the useful part is not the headline number but the detail underneath it, which shows how many young people are really looking for work, how Spain compares with the rest of Europe, and which support a young job seeker in Spain can already use while the talks go on.

## How Many Young People in Spain Are Actually Out of Work?

The answer depends on which count you use, and the three official counts tell different stories.

The first is the Labour Force Survey run by the [National Statistics Institute of Spain](https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/EPA2T26.htm). Its second quarter results put the number of unemployed people under 25 at [460,000 at the end of June](https://www.pressdigital.es/articulo/economia/2026-07-28/5967467-tasa-paro-juvenil-escala-hasta-245-segundo-trimestre), a rise of 19,600 on the first quarter. The [agency report on the survey carried by Press Digital](https://www.pressdigital.es/articulo/economia/2026-07-28/5967467-tasa-paro-juvenil-escala-hasta-245-segundo-trimestre) puts the youth unemployment rate at 23.77 percent for the second quarter.

The European figure is close to it. The monthly release from [Eurostat, the EU statistics office](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-euro-indicators/w/3-01092026-bp), estimates Spain's seasonally adjusted youth unemployment at [452 thousand people in July 2026](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-euro-indicators/w/3-01092026-bp), with a rate of 22.9 percent. Eurostat's estimates use the international definition, which counts people without a job who have [actively looked for work in the last four weeks](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-euro-indicators/w/3-01092026-bp) and can start within two weeks.

The third count is much smaller. Registered unemployment, the number of people signed up as job seekers at public employment offices, stood [below the 170,000 mark for under-25s in August](https://www.sepe.es/noticia/SEPE/2026/Septiembre/paro-registrado-sube-agosto-44419-personas), according to the [State Public Employment Service](https://www.sepe.es/noticia/SEPE/2026/Septiembre/paro-registrado-sube-agosto-44419-personas).

The gap between the two numbers matters for the new plan. In a [January 2026 piece on the record low in registered youth unemployment](https://en.ara.cat/economy/what-s-behind-the-record-low-number-of-unemployed-young-people-in-spain_1_5614119.html), one labour law professor at the University of Barcelona linked that fall partly to public employment services being disconnected from reality and businesses, and added that young people do not see those services as an effective way to find work. The draft plan's first-job programme is aimed at young people [registered with public employment services](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html).

## Why Did Youth Unemployment Rise While Overall Joblessness Fell?

The spring was a good season for Spain's labour market overall. Total unemployment fell by [213,300 people in the second quarter to 2,495,300](https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/EPA2T26.htm), and the unemployment rate dropped to 9.87 percent. Employment rose by [486,000 people to 22,779,000](https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/EPA2T26.htm).

Young people did not share fully in that. The statistics office found that unemployment among people [looking for their first job rose by 53,400](https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/EPA2T26.htm) in the quarter, even as it fell among people who had lost a job more than a year earlier. First-time job seekers are mostly young, and their total reached [309,000 at the end of June](https://www.pressdigital.es/articulo/economia/2026-07-28/5967467-tasa-paro-juvenil-escala-hasta-245-segundo-trimestre).

The rise was concentrated among teenagers. Between April and June, unemployment grew by [33,700 among those aged 16 to 19](https://www.pressdigital.es/articulo/economia/2026-07-28/5967467-tasa-paro-juvenil-escala-hasta-245-segundo-trimestre), the only age group where it rose, while it fell by 14,100 among those aged 20 to 24. Among people under 20, [the TodoAlicante analysis puts the unemployment rate at 37 percent](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html), and it links an employment rate of 8.8 percent in that group largely to young people staying longer in education.

In August, registered unemployment among under-25s [rose by 8,168 people](https://www.sepe.es/noticia/SEPE/2026/Septiembre/paro-registrado-sube-agosto-44419-personas) compared with July.

> In practice, this means that for the youngest entrants, joining the labour market almost inevitably involves registering as a jobseeker rather than securing a position, according to [the TodoAlicante analysis](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html).

## How Does Spain Compare With the Rest of Europe?

Spain has improved a great deal, but its youth unemployment rate is [still well above the EU average](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-euro-indicators/w/3-01092026-bp). In July, the youth unemployment rate was [15.1 percent across the EU and 14.9 percent in the euro area](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-euro-indicators/w/3-01092026-bp), against Spain's 22.9 percent. A year earlier, in July 2025, Spain's rate was [24.9 percent](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-euro-indicators/w/3-01092026-bp).

The same table shows how wide the spread is inside Europe. Germany's youth unemployment rate was [7.2 percent in July](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-euro-indicators/w/3-01092026-bp) and the Netherlands was at 8.6 percent, while France was at 20.7 percent and Italy at 18.9 percent. Spain is no longer at the bottom of the table, since [Estonia, Sweden and Finland all posted higher July rates](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-euro-indicators/w/3-01092026-bp) than Spain. Across the whole EU, [2.930 million people under 25 were unemployed](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-euro-indicators/w/3-01092026-bp) in July.

The employment picture is weaker than the unemployment one. [TodoAlicante, citing Eurostat, puts Spain's youth employment rate at 26.6 percent](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html), almost eight points below the European average, compared with 50 percent in Germany and 75.9 percent in the Netherlands. Only [three in ten young people aged 16 to 24](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html) in Spain have a job, largely because they spend longer in education and training.

## What Does the Ministry's Plan Actually Propose?

The draft is called the Youth Employment Plan, and its core is a new [First Professional Experience Programme](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html) aimed initially at young people aged 16 to 24 who are registered with public employment services. The contracts could be in the [private or the public sector](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html), always inside a personal pathway built for each young person.

The plan sets [four targets for 2028](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html):

- **First jobs.** At least [200,000 young people in their first job](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html).
- **Full-time work.** [75 percent of the first contracts](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html) to be full time.
- **Longer contracts.** [60 percent to carry a minimum first term of 12 months](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html).
- **Local councils.** [80 percent of large town halls](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html), meaning municipalities with more than 20,000 residents, taking part alongside public services.

Each young person would get a named careers adviser, described in the draft as a [young person's job coach](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html), who would assess their skills and design a pathway to fit. The ministry also wants every young person registered with the public employment service to receive an [offer of employment, training or an internship within four months](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html) of signing up.

The timing is not settled. The government wants the measures to form part of the next national employment plan and to [start rolling out from next year](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html), though they still have to get through negotiations with unions and employers.

> The proposal put to employers' organisations and trade unions seeks to help at least 200,000 people under the age of 25 secure their first job by 2028 through state-backed initiatives and tailored career pathways, according to [the TodoAlicante report](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html).

## Would Young People Get Help Moving to Another Region for Work?

Yes, under the draft. The plan offers [top-ups to income tax deductions for geographic mobility](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html) and relocation allowances for young job seekers who move beyond their home region. It also offers [accommodation and living cost allowances](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html) to help fill jobs listed on Spain's register of hard-to-fill occupations.

The draft names the kind of work it has in mind. The sectors mentioned include [tourism, some agricultural harvest campaigns](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html) and some industrial fields with specific staffing needs. The [support could cover accommodation and meals](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html) while a young worker settles into the job.

Neither [the TodoAlicante report](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html) nor [Mundiario's summary of the draft](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html) gives amounts for the allowances, and the plan is still a proposal.

## Why Is the CCOO Union Pushing Back on the Age Limit?

The ministry's draft works with the [16 to 24 age group](https://www.noticiastrabajo.es/empleo/ugt-y-ccoo-salen-expectantes-de-la-reunion-con-trabajo-tras-conseguir-fijar-un-calendario-para-reducir-el-paro-de-jovenes-y-mayores/). The [CCOO union confederation](https://noticiasobreras.es/2026/09/el-dialogo-social-sobre-el-paro-abre-el-pulso-por-las-ayudas-al-empleo-y-el-papel-de-las-agencias-privadas/) called that choice very biased and wants the plan to cover young people up to at least [age 30](https://www.noticiastrabajo.es/empleo/ugt-y-ccoo-salen-expectantes-de-la-reunion-con-trabajo-tras-conseguir-fijar-un-calendario-para-reducir-el-paro-de-jovenes-y-mayores/) and [argues that the cut-off leaves out many people](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html) who still struggle to find stable work after finishing university or vocational training.

EU policy already uses a higher age limit. The reinforced EU Youth Guarantee commits member states to give [all young people under the age of 30](https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/eu-employment-policies/youth-employment-support/reinforced-youth-guarantee_en) a good quality offer within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving education. Spain's own Youth Guarantee system already covers people [over 16 and under 30](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html) who are not working, studying or in training.

There are other disagreements. CCOO wants public money to go only to [quality or stable employment](https://noticiasobreras.es/2026/09/el-dialogo-social-sobre-el-paro-abre-el-pulso-por-las-ayudas-al-empleo-y-el-papel-de-las-agencias-privadas/) and wants private employment agencies kept in a supporting role. The employers' confederation [CEOE argued for private placement agencies](https://www.noticiastrabajo.es/empleo/ugt-y-ccoo-salen-expectantes-de-la-reunion-con-trabajo-tras-conseguir-fijar-un-calendario-para-reducir-el-paro-de-jovenes-y-mayores/) and for keeping incentives for temporary hiring, ideas the unions rejected.

The politics are hard too. The unions have [refused to sign new pacts](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html) until the new working hours register is in place, relations between the employers and the Labour Ministry are strained, and general elections are looming.

## What Support Can Young Job Seekers in Spain Already Use?

The new plan is still a draft, but the Youth Guarantee system already runs under the [Youth Guarantee Plus Plan for 2021 to 2027](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html). It is aimed at people [over 16 and under 30](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html) who are looking for work and are not studying, training or employed.

Here is how it works in practice:

- **What you get.** The European recommendation behind it requires that each young person can receive an [offer within four months of registering](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html), whether that is a job, education, training, an apprenticeship or an internship.
- **How you join.** Registered people form a [single list that participating organisations use](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html) when they propose concrete offers, and registration is voluntary.
- **Where to get help.** You can [call 060 and ask for help registering](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html), and a staff member will guide you through the process, or email the service with the same request in the subject line.
- **Hiring and self-employment support.** The state offers [aids for hiring young people under 30](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html), and SEPE's website also lists Social Security bonuses and reductions for self-employed workers.

Much of the real work happens in the regions. The [autonomous communities play a decisive role](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html) in running the guarantee, with their own programmes for people on the national register, so check your regional employment service as well as the national one.

## Has Spain Tried Plans Like This Before?

Yes, several times. Spain adopted a [Youth Employment Action Plan for 2019 to 2021](https://reform-support.ec.europa.eu/what-we-do/labour-market-and-social-protection/tackling-youth-and-long-term-unemployment-spain_en), and the European Commission helped the public employment service coordinate and monitor it across the regions. It then approved the [Youth Guarantee Plus Plan for 2021 to 2027](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html), which sets out 69 measures across six areas, from personal guidance to training and hiring incentives.

Youth unemployment [nearly tripled to touch 57 percent](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html) during the Great Recession, and by 2013 more than half of young Spaniards looking for work were unemployed. More than a decade on, [that rate has been halved](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html).

Compared with those plans, the draft would create a new [First Professional Experience Programme with targets for 2028](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html), and Mundiario counts the help with moving for hard-to-fill jobs among [the document's novelties](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html). The four-month promise mirrors the existing [Youth Guarantee standard](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html), and Mundiario notes that [similar commitments on personal guidance have been made before without being fully met](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html).

## What Happens Next in the Negotiations?

Formal talks opened on Monday September 21 at the ministry, chaired by the [Secretary of State for Labour](https://www.noticiastrabajo.es/empleo/ugt-y-ccoo-salen-expectantes-de-la-reunion-con-trabajo-tras-conseguir-fijar-un-calendario-para-reducir-el-paro-de-jovenes-y-mayores/). The ministry and the [unions and employers agreed](https://www.noticiastrabajo.es/empleo/ugt-y-ccoo-salen-expectantes-de-la-reunion-con-trabajo-tras-conseguir-fijar-un-calendario-para-reducir-el-paro-de-jovenes-y-mayores/) to start drawing up a shared diagnosis of the labour market and to set a calendar of meetings. The [unions will now prepare comments](https://noticiasobreras.es/2026/09/el-dialogo-social-sobre-el-paro-abre-el-pulso-por-las-ayudas-al-empleo-y-el-papel-de-las-agencias-privadas/) on the ministry's documents, after which more specific negotiating tables will open.

The same table covers older job seekers. The ministry also presented a strategy for the long-term unemployed and people over 45, which includes adding [3,000 careers advisers to the national employment system](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html) and monthly vouchers of 300 euros to help with family care during training or a new job in some cases.

[Mundiario calls funding the main open question](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html). Unions and employers agree that the regions will carry out much of the plan, and that [no sufficient budget increase](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html) has been set out so far to guarantee it. The UGT union hopes to have the diagnosis, the measures and the [funding needed to apply them in the regions](https://www.noticiastrabajo.es/empleo/ugt-y-ccoo-salen-expectantes-de-la-reunion-con-trabajo-tras-conseguir-fijar-un-calendario-para-reducir-el-paro-de-jovenes-y-mayores/) in place within this quarter.

## What This Means for Young Job Seekers in Spain, and What Should You Do Next?

Our take is that the plan is worth watching but not worth waiting for. It is a draft in a difficult negotiation, with [no sufficient budget increase set out yet](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html), a disputed age limit and [general elections looming](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html). Even if it passes, the targets run to [2028](https://www.todoalicante.es/english/young-people-left-behind-20260927100926-nt.html), which is a long time for someone who needs a first job this year.

The plan also tells you something useful about where the system is heading. Its first-job programme and its four-month offer are both aimed at young people [registered with public employment services](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html). The [460,000 young people counted as unemployed](https://www.pressdigital.es/articulo/economia/2026-07-28/5967467-tasa-paro-juvenil-escala-hasta-245-segundo-trimestre) in the survey and the [fewer than 170,000 registered](https://www.sepe.es/noticia/SEPE/2026/Septiembre/paro-registrado-sube-agosto-44419-personas) come from two counts that use different methods, and it is the registered group that these measures are written for. Registering with the Youth Guarantee puts you on the [single list that participating organisations use](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html) when they make offers.

Here is what we would do:

- **Register now.** If you are [over 16 and under 30](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html) and not working or studying, sign up with your regional employment service and the Youth Guarantee.
- **Ask about offers.** The guarantee's standard is an [offer within four months](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html) of registering, so follow up if nothing arrives.
- **Look beyond your region.** The draft names [tourism, farm harvests and some industrial work](https://www.mundiario.com/articulo/economia/asi-es-plan-trabajo-que-200000-jovenes-accedan-primer-empleo-antes-2028/20260922124420442489.html) as the kind of hard-to-fill jobs it wants to help young people move for.
- **Build a first resume.** List your studies, training, internships and any informal work, following the steps for [making a resume for your first job](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/how-to-make-a-resume-for-your-first-job) or the [high school resume tips](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/high-school-resume-tips) if you are still a teenager, so you are ready when an offer arrives.
- **Watch the age limit.** If CCOO wins the change to [age 30](https://www.noticiastrabajo.es/empleo/ugt-y-ccoo-salen-expectantes-de-la-reunion-con-trabajo-tras-conseguir-fijar-un-calendario-para-reducir-el-paro-de-jovenes-y-mayores/), young people up to that age would also be covered.

## Related Articles

- [Why UK Youth Unemployment Is a Broken Ladder Not a Lazy Generation](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/uk-youth-unemployment-broken-ladder-not-lazy-generation-2026)
- [How the Dutch Are Solving the Youth Jobs Crisis and What the UK Can Learn](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/how-dutch-solving-youth-jobs-crisis-what-uk-can-learn)
- [AI Isn't Why Young Workers Can't Find Jobs, a New Study Points Elsewhere](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/ai-isnt-why-young-workers-cant-find-jobs-study)
- [Why a Brutal First Job Market Can Dent Graduate Pay for Years, and How to Fight It](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/weak-first-job-market-graduate-wage-scarring-2026)
- [How the Netherlands Beat Youth Unemployment and What Job Seekers Can Learn](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/netherlands-youth-unemployment-lessons-job-seekers-2026)
- [What Spain Did to Pull Its Unemployment Down to Nordic Levels](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/spain-unemployment-down-to-nordic-levels-2026)
- [Entry-Level Grads Are Grabbing Any Paycheck as the Job Market Turns Brutal](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/entry-level-grads-any-paycheck-brutal-market-2026)
- [Why Cutting Entry-Level Jobs Could Backfire on Employers](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/why-cutting-entry-level-jobs-could-backfire-on-employers)
- [How Young Workers Are Making Moving Back Home Actually Work](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/how-young-workers-make-moving-back-home-work-2026)
- [UK Companies Struggling to Hire Young People Amid Rising Cost Pressures](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/uk-youth-hiring-crisis-rising-costs-2026)

## People Also Asked

### Q: How many young people are unemployed in Spain?

A: The Labour Force Survey counted [460,000 unemployed people under 25 at the end of June](https://www.pressdigital.es/articulo/economia/2026-07-28/5967467-tasa-paro-juvenil-escala-hasta-245-segundo-trimestre), while registered unemployment for the same age group was [below 170,000 in August](https://www.sepe.es/noticia/SEPE/2026/Septiembre/paro-registrado-sube-agosto-44419-personas), and the two counts use different methods.

### Q: What is Spain's youth unemployment rate compared with the EU?

A: Spain's youth unemployment rate was [22.9 percent in July 2026](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-euro-indicators/w/3-01092026-bp), compared with 15.1 percent across the EU and 14.9 percent in the euro area.

### Q: Who can register for the Youth Guarantee in Spain?

A: People [over 16 and under 30](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/en/encontrar-trabajo/Garantia-Juvenil/garantia-juvenil-plan-garantia-juvenil-plus-2021-2027.html) who are looking for work and are not studying, training or employed can register, and the European recommendation behind it requires that each of them can receive an offer of a job, training, an apprenticeship or an internship within four months.

Stay ahead of the market. [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) brings together 50M jobs in one place. [Create a free profile](https://www.metaintro.com/signup) and start your search today.

### Share this article

[https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Over%20460%2C000%20Under-25s%20in%20Spain%20Are%20Jobless%20as%20the%20Government%20Proposes%20200%2C000%20First%20Jobs%20by%202028&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Over%20460%2C000%20Under-25s%20in%20Spain%20Are%20Jobless%20as%20the%20Government%20Proposes%20200%2C000%20First%20Jobs%20by%202028&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan&title=Over%20460%2C000%20Under-25s%20in%20Spain%20Are%20Jobless%20as%20the%20Government%20Proposes%20200%2C000%20First%20Jobs%20by%202028](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan&title=Over%20460%2C000%20Under-25s%20in%20Spain%20Are%20Jobless%20as%20the%20Government%20Proposes%20200%2C000%20First%20Jobs%20by%202028)[mailto:?subject=Over%20460%2C000%20Under-25s%20in%20Spain%20Are%20Jobless%20as%20the%20Government%20Proposes%20200%2C000%20First%20Jobs%20by%202028&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan](mailto:?subject=Over%20460%2C000%20Under-25s%20in%20Spain%20Are%20Jobless%20as%20the%20Government%20Proposes%20200%2C000%20First%20Jobs%20by%202028&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fspain-youth-unemployment-460000-jobs-plan)

For job seekers

## Spend your time on the work, not the search.

Free to start. No résumé needed. Real jobs, picked for you, by text.

[Get Started Free](/signup)[Search matching jobs](/jobs/search)

- MatchCompare live roles against your current evidence.
- PositionTurn proof projects into role-specific applications.
- ImproveUse market feedback to keep the skill plan current.

[Return to navigation](#main-navigation)