Lorca Contracting Councillor Ángel Meca announced that unemployment in the municipality fell to 3,371 people in July 2026, according to figures from the State Employment Service Observatory.
Meca described the July figure as positive for a summer month and noted that unemployment was 58.4 percent lower than the peak reached during the 2013 financial crisis. He said Lorca had almost 900 fewer unemployed residents than in July 2022, pointing to progress during the current municipal term alongside declines in youth unemployment and among people with vocational training qualifications.
Figures from the Statistical Portal of the Region of Murcia showed social security affiliations reached 43,553 people in June 2026. This represented a year-on-year increase of 4.31 percent, which was 1.33 percentage points above the average growth rate across the Region of Murcia. Meca said the municipality was undergoing a stable period marked by growth opportunities, economic strength, and job creation supported by effective public policies and rigorous management.
Municipal Investment and Job Training
Since 2023, the city council has driven a training and employment project with an investment exceeding 14 million euros. The project combined municipal funds with grants from the State Employment Service Observatory, the European Social Fund, and the State Public Employment Service.
The program allowed nearly 2,000 people to receive training, leading to 376 training contracts and almost 500 hires for works of social interest. Meca said the municipal training and job creation policy achieved employability rates reaching 50 percent for participants securing work, while also promoting entrepreneurship and generational turnover.
Business Expansion and Debt Reduction
Lorca ranks among the top 1 percent of municipalities generating the most employment in Spain, surpassing provincial capitals through strength in its industrial, services, agricultural, and construction sectors. The number of self-employed workers reached a record high near 7,000, representing an annual increase of 1.2 percent.
The local economy includes 829 companies invoicing over one million euros, which is 206 more companies than a decade ago. Industrial parks are expanding, including an initiative by Saprelorca that will add more than 77 hectares of industrial land to attract new investments.
Meca concluded that the economic momentum was supported by a joint commitment among citizens, business owners, and the public sector alongside rigorous management. He added that municipal debt was at its best level since 1998, with debt per inhabitant falling from 1,166 euros to 234 euros.
