Overview
- July 2026 Social Security data show 3,512,223 foreign-affiliated workers, a monthly gain of 66,046 and an annual increase of 420,875 that brings foreigners to 15.6% of all employed.
- The government’s extraordinary regularization, launched in April and closed in June, produced 262,475 Social Security registrations by July 30 with 213,883 joining the General Regime and 12,675 as self-employed.
- Foreign workers remain concentrated in high-demand sectors with about 32.9% of hospitality, 39.2% of agrarian jobs, 26.6% of construction and 46.7% of the household special regime filled by non-Spanish nationals.
- Regional data from Castilla‑La Mancha show faster growth than the national average with 113,983 foreign affiliates and 52,047 regularization applications, and CCOO is calling for quicker, dignified rulings and a stronger Labour Inspectorate.
- The surge builds on a multi-year trend that added more than 1.2 million foreign workers since June 2022, includes roughly 1.5 million women (about 43% of foreign affiliates), and could intensify enforcement, integration and sectoral staffing shifts.