Cuesta Piedra, San Pío X and Barrio Nuevo, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and Jinámar and El Lasso, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, record the highest unemployment rates in the Canary Islands, above 27%, according to the EPA-Reg from Istac.
The Canary Islands Statistics Institute (Istac) published on Tuesday the data from the Registered Active Population Statistics (EPA-Reg) for the second quarter of 2026, revealing a significant territorial gap in unemployment within the islands. Five neighbourhoods in Tenerife and Gran Canaria concentrate the highest rates, exceeding 27%, while the regional average stands at 13.3%.
In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the neighbourhoods of Cuesta Piedra, San Pío X and Barrio Nuevo top the list with figures that double the Canary Islands average. In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Jinámar and El Lasso present a similar situation. According to Istac, these figures reflect the persistence of structural unemployment pockets in specific areas of the two Canary capitals.
On the opposite end, the neighbourhoods with the lowest recorded unemployment are located in Arrecife (El Cable, 4.9%; La Concha, 3.2%), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Ciudad del Mar, 5.8%; La Minilla, 6%) and Arona (Playa de las Américas, 6.1%; Chayofa, 6.8%), as well as in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Las Mimosas, 4.2%; Tristán, 6.1%).
At the municipal level, Yaiza (Lanzarote) consolidates itself as the municipality with the lowest unemployment rate in the Canary Islands, at 5.8%, followed by Pájara (6%), Teguise (6.8%), Tías (7%) and Tinajo (7.3%). All of these belong to Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, islands that maintain unemployment rates below 9%.
On the contrary, Tazacorte (La Palma) is the municipality with the highest unemployment, at 19.8%, followed by Garafía (19%), Moya (18.8%), Agaete (17.9%) and La Aldea de San Nicolás (17.8%). La Palma and Gran Canaria are the islands with the highest average rates, at 14.7% and 14.5%, respectively.
Istac compiles this statistic in collaboration with the Canary Islands Employment Service, combining administrative data on social security affiliation and job seekers. The EPA-Reg allows for detailed analysis by neighbourhood, facilitating the identification of the areas most affected by unemployment.
For residents of the neighbourhoods with the highest unemployment, the situation poses an additional challenge in accessing the labour market. The Canary Islands Government has implemented specific employment plans in these areas, although the results have yet to be fully reflected in the statistics.
The comparison with the same quarter of the previous year shows a slight overall improvement, but the differences between neighbourhoods remain. While in tourist areas such as Playa de las Américas unemployment is minimal, in neighbourhoods like Cuesta Piedra the rate remains more than five times higher.
Experts point out that the lack of economic diversification and low labour mobility are factors that explain these differences. Additionally, the temporary nature of employment in the service sector, predominant in the Canary Islands, affects different neighbourhoods unevenly.
Istac plans to update this data quarterly, which will allow for monitoring the evolution of unemployment at the local level. For the next quarter, it is expected that the summer campaign will reduce unemployment figures, although structural pockets may persist.
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