Within this universe, retail trade – dedicated to direct sales to consumers – is the dominant activity: it employs 479,800 professionals, equivalent to 62.4% of the sector, according to Eurostat data for the second quarter of 2025. The trend remains positive, with a quarterly increase of 0.4% and sustained growth in recent years.
As cited by Executive Digest, Randstad Research shows that “after being heavily penalized by the pandemic, with a 6.8% drop in employment in 2020, the retail sector recovered consistently from 2021 onwards.” In 2023, the sector had almost 124,000 companies and nearly 500,000 workers. “Retail activities of other products and non-specialized establishments – such as hypermarkets, supermarkets and department stores – lead the market, with the latter segment being the largest employer, with 161,600 workers.”
The Randstad Research report also reveals that “retail is a predominantly female sector: 60.5% of professionals are women. Qualifications have also increased, with skilled and semi-skilled workers representing 67.3% of the total, while only 5.1% perform unskilled functions. Salary growth follows this trend: according to the INE (National Institute of Statistics), the average monthly salary increased from €1,028 in June 2015 to €1,539 in June 2025 – a 50% increase in ten years.”
