In the 1st quarter of 2026
Number of jobs in the Regional Administration of Madeira decreased to 20 950
According to information published by the Directorate-General for Administration and Public Employment (DGAEP) — the entity responsible for compiling information on the human resources of State administration bodies and services at national level — which published on 15 May the Statistical Summary of Public Employment (SIEP) for the 1st quarter of 2026, there were 20 950 jobs in the Regional Administration of Madeira (ARM) as at 31/03/2026. Compared to the previous quarter, the change was -134 jobs (-0.6%), with a year-on-year decrease of 204 jobs (-1.0%). Compared to the end of 2011, there was a reduction of 403 jobs (-1.9%).
In turn, the Social Security Institute of Madeira, which according to the classification of institutional units must be presented separately from the ARM, recorded 1 176 jobs as at 31/03/2026, decreasing by 18 jobs (-1.5%) compared to the previous quarter. In year-on-year terms, a reduction of 74 jobs (-5.9%) was recorded. Compared to 31/12/2011, there were 235 fewer jobs (-16.7%).
Social Security Funds, the Regional Administration of Madeira and the Regional Administration of the Azores were the only sub-sectors to present year-on-year decreases in jobs, of 1.8%, 1.0% and 0.2%, respectively. All other sub-sectors recorded growth compared to the same period of the previous year, with Local Administration (+2.6%) leading the increases, followed by Central Administration (+0.9%). The average year-on-year change across General Government as a whole was +1.1%.
Compared to the previous quarter, the sub-sectors that recorded growth were Central Administration (+0.7%), Local Administration and the Regional Administration of the Azores (both +0.6%). The remaining sub-sectors recorded decreases, namely the Regional Administration of Madeira (-0.6%) and Social Security Funds (-0.3%). The average change across General Government as a whole was +0.6%.
The analysis of data on employment in the institutional sector of general government at the national level for the period between December 2011 and March 2026 shows reductions only in the sub-sectors of Social Security Funds (-20.0%) and the Regional Administration of Madeira (-1.9%). The other sub-sectors recorded increases, with the largest in relative terms being that of Local Administration (+16.1%), followed by the Regional Administration of the Azores (+11.4%) and Central Administration (+3.7%). The average change across General Government as a whole was +5.4%.
With regard to the breakdown by job, career and group, the most representative is teaching staff at 27.5%, followed by operational assistants and technical assistants, accounting for 25.9% and 14.2% of total ARM employment, respectively. The decreases in operational assistants (net balance between entries and exits of -250) and teaching staff (-34) determined the overall year-on-year reduction of 204 jobs referred to above, which the net increases in nurses (+28), diagnostic and therapeutic technicians (+18), IT staff and registrars and notaries (+6 each) were insufficient to offset.
Analysing the breakdown of public employment by type of entity, it can be observed that in the 1st quarter of 2026, Primary and Secondary Education Establishments accounted for 39.0% of total jobs, followed by Regional Public Business Entities with 29.0% and Regional Directorates with 17.6%.
The breakdown by Regional Secretariat shows that the Regional Secretariat for Education, Science and Technology accounts for the largest number of workers, with 9 563 jobs (45.6% of total ARM employment), whilst the remaining Secretariats have employment volumes ranging between 147 (Regional Secretariat for the Economy) and 950 (Regional Secretariat for Finance) jobs.
In January 2026, the average gross monthly earnings in the ARM was 1 933.6 euros, 1.1% above the overall General Government average, whilst the average monthly earnings (corresponding to the aggregate of base earnings, bonuses, allowances or supplements) stood at 2 330.9 euros, also 2.2% above the overall average. Compared to January 2025, the average gross monthly earnings in the ARM grew by 5.5% and average monthly earnings by 6.8%.
Public enterprises not classified within the ARM had, as of 31 March 2026, 1 972 jobs, 9 more (+0.5%) than in the previous quarter and 77 fewer (-4.1%) in year-on-year terms. Compared to December 2012 (the earliest period for which information is available for this type of company), the number of jobs decreased by 334 (-14.5%).
In turn, the eleven Municipal Councils of the ARM concentrated, in the reference period, 3 805 jobs, 47 more (+1.3%) than in the preceding quarter and 202 more (+5.6%) than at the end of March 2025. In the Parish Councils of the ARM, 183 persons were employed as at 31/03/2026, 3 fewer jobs (-1.6%) than in the previous quarter and 2 more (+1.1%) in year-on-year terms. Compared to 31/12/2011, Municipal Councils increased their workforce by 612 (+19.2%) and Parish Councils by 14 (+8.3%) workers.
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