Marbella closes 2025 with a record employment and the lowest unemployment figure in 19 years

Marbella closed the year 2025 with record figures in employment, affiliations, and entrepreneurship, "consolidating its leadership" in this area and positioning itself as the second municipality with more than 40,000 inhabitants with the fewest unemployed in Andalusia. This was highlighted by the general director of the sector, Alejandro Freijo, who pointed out that "this achievement reflects the commitment of the City Council to economic development and to creating an ideal environment for businesses to invest, grow, and generate opportunities."

Freijo detailed that the city ended the year with 7,164 unemployed people, the lowest figure recorded in December since 2006, representing 712 fewer unemployed compared to the same month in 2024 and a year-on-year reduction of 9%. He also drew attention to "the strength of a local labor market" that last July reached another historic low, with 6,722 unemployed.

Marbella closed November with 77,523 affiliates to Social Security and 15,467 self-employed, and there are 767 more companies than in 2024

The municipal official specified that in the last month of the year 3,190 contracts were formalized, 291 more than in the same period of the previous year, and highlighted the improvement in the quality of employment, with 62% of contracts being permanent. Regarding affiliations, he highlighted that Marbella counted 77,523 contributors to Social Security in November, with 2,363 more affiliates than a year ago, "reaching historic peaks during the summer," with 85,420 in July.

He also indicated that the municipality "continues to position itself as an epicenter of entrepreneurship" with a record number of self-employed individuals, which in November rose to 15,467, translating into an increase of 485 self-employed workers compared to the same period of the previous year. In addition, there is an increase in the business fabric, with 20,829 active companies, 767 more than in 2024. "Marbella not only creates jobs, but it does so in a sustained, stable manner and with higher quality, demonstrating that we are moving towards a more diversified economic model and less dependent on seasonality," Freijo stated.

A key year of growth

In 2025, the City Council offered a total of 2,450 places within the Municipal Employment Training Plan and boosted the labor market, entrepreneurship, and innovation with the consolidation of the Marbellup coworking space and the celebration of events. "It has been a key year of growth for Marbella thanks to a strategy focused on training, guidance, and support for the self-employed that has helped to strengthen the local business fabric and the economy," Freijo summarized.

The Municipal Employment Portal, with an intermediation agency, allowed last year the publication of 3,100 job offers by more than 1,000 companies, and 120 are currently active. Other notable initiatives launched by the delegation have been 'Impulsa Joven', in which 15 students participated who managed to join the labor market, and the Orienta Program, which served 1,050 people through personalized support.

Marbellup trains 1,000 people and accelerates 150 projects

In the field of entrepreneurship, 2025 was marked by the positioning of Marbellup as a reference technology hub, in which a thousand people were trained in advanced skills, 150 projects were accelerated, and more than 40 business meetings were held, as well as by the management of the San Pedro Alcántara Business Incubator, through a collaboration agreement with the Chamber of Commerce of Malaga, which will allow the expansion of services and the accommodation of more entrepreneurs.

Freijo also highlighted the importance of events like Startup Olé Marbella, with two editions and nearly 1,000 attendees, more than 100 startups, and about fifty investors and corporations, or Business Innovation Marbella (BIM), as well as participation in international forums like Global Digital Trade Expo and Startup Olé Miami.