The Employment Observatory of the Generalitat counts 370 cases in the first eight months of the year, an 11% increase from 2025, although with 932 fewer workers affected. Barcelona accounts for 91.7% of the cases.
The Employment Observatory and productive model of the Generalitat of Catalonia released data on employment regulation files (ERE) for the first eight months of 2026 this Wednesday. The number of affected workers stands at 5,125, which is 932 fewer than in the same period last year, according to information published by eldebate.com.
The decrease in the number of affected contrasts with the increase in procedures: companies have processed 370 files, an 11% increase from 2025. Most, 117, are justified by productive causes; 85 due to economic losses and 53 due to force majeure.
By province, Barcelona accounts for 91.7% of the ERE submitted, with 4,701 workers involved. Of these, 63.2% are men and 36.8% women.
The services sector is the hardest hit, followed by industry, which accounts for 35% of the cases. In the breakdown by activities, the technology sector leads the layoffs with 531 affected, closely followed by the automotive sector (526) and construction (425).
Among the largest files of the year are those of the content moderation company Majorel, with 347 workers; Cartonajes Internacionales, with 200; Nissan, with 195; the consultancy Capgemini, with 124; AkzoNobel, with 120; Quality Espresso, with 117, and the automotive supplier Ficosa, with 105.
The historical comparison places 2025 as the year with the most affected by ERE in Catalonia, with 9,001 workers, nearly triple that of a decade ago (3,557). In the first eight months of 2026, the figure is already approaching that of all of 2024, when 5,730 were recorded.
Catalonia leads the ranking among autonomous communities, ahead of Madrid (4,091 affected), the Valencian Community (1,993) and Andalusia (1,335).
For workers in the province of Barcelona, these data imply that most collective layoffs are still being managed in their territory, particularly impacting the technology and automotive sectors. Unions recommend reviewing the selection criteria for those affected and demanding relocation plans in agreements.
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