160,579 people start making National Insurance contributions in best March for system since records began

The average number of contributors to the Spanish Social Security system in March stood at 16,832,801. This figure represents a month-on-month increase of 160,579 (0.96%), the best figure for March since records began.

The number of contributors rose in all autonomous regions, under the key regimes and in the most representative sectors - including the hotel and catering industry, construction and industry.

The seasonally-adjusted figure (up 104,360) supports this positive trend, with employment growing strongly beyond the increases posted in March alone and now accumulates 20 straight months of growth in seasonally-adjusted terms.

In year-on-year terms, the affiliation rate has maintained the same upward trend that began 14 months ago with an increase of 3.29%.

The State Secretary for Social Security, Tomás Burgos, believes "this result reflects the positive performance by our economy, points to an especially active labour market and ratifies the positive expectations for the coming months".

Affiliation under the General Regime grew by 142,047 compared with February (1.05%) to stand at an average of 13,637,233. The most noteworthy sectors were the hotel and catering industry, with 45,979 new contributors; construction, with 13,151 new contributors; administrative activities and ancillary services, up 12,865; the public administration and defence and compulsory social security sector, up 10,067; education, up 7,451; and the manufacturing industry, up 6,913.

The Special System for Agricultural Workers posted an increase of 7,165 (0.97%) to a total of 749,411 contributors. The Special System for Domestic Workers grew by 2,226 contributors (0.52%).

3,131,629 contributors were registered under the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers, following an increase of 16,777 (0.54%). 1,821 more people were registered under the Regime for Seamen (3.13%) to a total of 60,034. Finally, the Regime for Coal Workers comprised an average of 3,904 workers, following a reduction of 66 (-1.66%).

In year-on-year terms, the rate increased by 3.29% or 536,512 more jobs in the system. The majority of this growth corresponds to the General Regime, with 465,207 more jobs than last year (3.53%).

It should be noted that the rate rose by 2.38% under the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers, which translates into an increase of 72,664 when compared with the same month in 2014. The Regime for Seamen posted a decrease of 1.62% (-989).