Unemployment benefits

Protection for unemployment

Unemployment protection is for persons of working age who are in one of the following situations:

• Voluntary loss of employment
• Contract suspended due to a temporary workforce adjustment plan (ERTE)
• Reduction in working hours due to a temporary workforce adjustment plan (ERTE)

This protection can be:

• full protection, when the worker ceases the work he/she was doing,

• partial protection, when the person’s normal daily working hours are reduced (from a minimum of 10% to a maximum of 70%, with the salary reduced correspondingly).

Protection can be provided in two ways:

• Via the contributory system, which provides benefits to workers who have lost their job, subject to a minimum contribution period of 360 days. The benefit is then granted based on the length of time for which the person has contributed. More information is available on the Public Employment Service (SEPE). .
• Via income support: if the worker is not entitled to the contributory benefit, have exhausted their entitlement, or are in one of the situations covered by the unemployment allowance. You can find the requirements for each type of benefit on the SEPE .

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Contributory unemployment benefit

Requirements

Workers whose contract has ended, who have been dismissed from their job or who have had their working hours and salary reduced by between 10% and 70% can access this benefit if they meet the following conditions:

• They are registered actively in the Social Security system;
• They are registered as a jobseeker;
• They have worked and paid unemployment contributions for at least 360 days in the six years before they became unemployed;
• They have not reached the normal retirement age;
• Tthey do not receive a social security pension that is incompatible with work.

You can find comprehensive information about the contributory benefit on the SEPE website.

You can find information about how to apply:

• On the SEPE website 
• At benefits offices (employment offices in Ceuta and Melilla) by making an appointment via t he SEPE website or by telephone .

Further information

The Public Employment Service is an autonomous agency responsible for managing and overseeing unemployment benefits. You can find more information on the SEPE website .

The Social Marine Institute (Instituto Social de la Marina) manages unemployment benefits for workers covered by the special social security scheme for seafarers. More information is available on the Social Security website .

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Information for each Autonomous Community

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