Seville achieves lowest unemployment rate since 2006 with 49,763 unemployed in May 2026

The unemployment rate in Seville has fallen to 14.78% in May 2026, the lowest level since 2006, with 49,763 unemployed in a city of 686,741 inhabitants.

The City Council of Seville has rolled out a series of employment programs since 2023 that have contributed to the city recording the lowest unemployment rate in the last two decades in May 2026, at 14.78% and 49,763 unemployed, according to municipal data. This figure represents a reduction of 3.5 points from the 18.28% in 2023, when José Luis Sanz took office as mayor.

The Government Area of Preferred Attention Neighbourhoods, Social Rights, Employment, Family, Equality and Associations, led by José Luis García, has promoted initiatives that combine training, direct hiring, and support for vulnerable groups. Among the most visible is the Civic Agents programme, known as the "serenos", which has increased from 18 to 64 agents and from 12 to 33 neighbourhoods, with an investment of 3.35 million euros. These professionals carry out information, mediation, and support tasks for community coexistence, and have received training in first aid, gender violence, and the prevention of LGTBIfobia.

Another key initiative is the Project Éfeso Sevilla, 85% funded by the European Social Fund Plus (FSE+), with a budget close to 9.77 million euros. The programme anticipates the participation of 1,305 unemployed individuals in 87 training pathways, as well as 1,044 economic aids. It focuses particularly on women and vulnerable groups, and incorporates a greater emphasis on non-labour professional internships to improve actual insertion.

For young people, the City Council has launched four projects aimed at 60 individuals under 30, who will develop paid work for twelve months in cultural, administrative, social, and technological areas. Vocational training for employment has also been strengthened with three active courses in social healthcare and administrative services, aimed at unemployed individuals aged 16 to 65, which have the highest success rates and minimal dropout levels.

Innovation has found its place with the Empleo-Innova 2024 and 2026 calls, which have allocated 485,000 euros to non-profit entities for projects that incorporate new technologies and methodologies. The Sevilla Integra programme, the main instrument for socio-labour insertion, has invested 7.88 million euros since 2023. In the 2023-2024 edition, 4.35 million was allocated to ten projects, achieving 1,218 job placements compared to the initially planned 996.

The unemployment rate of 14.78% in May 2026 is the lowest since 2006, when Seville recorded 14.2%. In 2023, at the beginning of Sanz's term, the rate was 18.28%, and it has been gradually decreasing to 15.43% in 2025. The data reflects a sustained improvement, although the local government warns that the figure is still far from full employment. The programs remain active, and a new call for Sevilla Integra is expected at the end of 2026.