A report from the National Federation of Self-Employed Workers in Spain, known as ATA, reveals that over one hundred six thousand new self-employed individuals have joined the workforce from May twenty twenty-one to May twenty twenty-five, representing a three point two percent increase. This growth is mainly attributed to those over fifty years old, specifically an increase of one hundred seventy-six thousand among those over sixty-four.

The ATA president, Lorenzo Amor, attributes this surge to the increase in retirement age and the growing trend of active retirement. The rise in senior self-employed workers has compensated for losses in the middle age group, which experienced a decline of over seventy-two thousand contributors to the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers (RETA), particularly among those aged forty to forty-four.

Also noteworthy is the record number of new female self-employed workers, accounting for approximately seventy-one point eight percent of the overall increase. Women over fifty years old particularly contributed to this rise with an addition of sixty-four thousand new contributors. However, there has been a decline in women aged forty to forty-four, related to maternity and family caregiving responsibilities.

Overall, the numbers reveal that self-employed individuals over fifty constitute forty-seven point two percent of all self-employed workers in Spain. This demographic shift indicates an ageing workforce while younger workers under thirty have also seen a slight growth, adding over twenty-three thousand to the self-employed sector in recent years.