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Statistics on Labour Cost and Vacancies. Q1/2026

The labour cost per worker and month stood at 3,595.99 euros in Catalonia as of the first quarter of 2026, 6.1% more than the same quarter in 2025. The number of job vacancies stood at 31,943, and remaines stable compared to a year earlier.

Labour Cost

The labour cost per worker and month stood at 3,595.99 euros in Catalonia as of the first quarter of 2026, 6.1% more than the same quarter in 2025. For specific sectors, the labour cost per worker and month in the ICT sector was 5,837.05 euros, 6.9% more than a year ago, while the culture sector rose a 15.0% and stood at 4,281.04 euros, and the tourism sector remaned stable compared to the same quarter of 2025, with a labour cost of 2,595.25 euros per worker and month.

The wage cost per worker and month increased by 5.7% in Catalonia and reached 2,641.81 euros. The wage cost in the ICT sector was 4,428.04 euros (4.2% year-over-year), in the culture sector 3,293.96 euros (17,0%) and in tourism sector 1,895.04 euros (−0.8%).

By effective hour, the labour cost was 27.04 euros, and the wage cost 19.86 euros. In the analysed specific sectors, ICT sector had the highest effective wage cost per hour (28.77 euros), followed by the cultural (23.39 euros) and tourism (15.67 euros) sectors.

Job vacancies

In the first quarter of 2026, the number of job vacancies stood at 31,943, and remaines stable compared to a year earlier.

As for industry, compared with the same quarter of the previous year, the number of vacancies increased in Metallurgy, machinery, electrical and transport equipment (4.1%; from 1,224 to 1,274) and in food, textiles, wood, paper, and graphic arts (10.3%; from 1,188 to 1,311), on the other hand, it decreased in chemicals and rubber (−2.4%; from 593 to 579). As for services, the year-on-year increase in the number of vacant jobs in education, health, and social services (41.5%; from 2.430 to 3.439) and in public administration, defense, and compulsory social security (39.6%; from 5.932 to 8.281) stood out. In contrast, the most notable decreases in relative terms were in information and communication (−67.8%; from 2.472 to 797) and in cultural and sports activities, and other services (−37.0%; from 958 de 603).