Castellón sheds jobs fastest in the region: 903 more in August

Today's essentials (4 key points)

• Open-Meteo forecasts a hot day in the province, up to 35 degrees inland, while AEMET has posted a yellow warning for strong storms and hail in northern Castellón.
• Valencia joins European Mobility Week with two festival days at Viveros gardens and a free EMT bus day, according to Valencia Bonita.
• The Soneja wildfire in Castellón remains active after burning 150 hectares and forcing 500 residents from their homes, according to Libertad Digital, as El Saler reopens its roads, beaches and buses.
• Latin trap star Bryant Myers has confirmed a concert at Valencia's Roig Arena, with tickets already on sale, according to Valencia Secreta.

Today's essentials

Castellón sheds jobs fastest in the region: 903 more in August. Castellón ended August 2026 with 903 more registered jobseekers than in July, a 2.87% rise and the steepest relative increase of the region's three provinces, according to Ministerio de Trabajo data relayed by Moncloa.com.

Across the Comunitat Valenciana as a whole, registered unemployment climbed to 294,519 people, up 5,847 on July (+2.03%). Valencia province added the most in absolute terms with 3,080 (+2.17%) and Alicante 1,864 (+1.62%), but Castellón's smaller base made its 903 the province with the fastest proportional jump.

Services drove the slowdown: unemployment there rose by 2,884 across the region, ahead of construction (+1,061), people with no prior job (+1,323) and industry (+582), while agriculture edged down by 3. In Castellón, Noticias CV reports the increases concentrated in the comarca capitals of Plana Baixa, Baix Maestrat and l'Alcalatèn, pushed by services, construction and a marked rise in male unemployment.

At municipal level, Noticias CV puts Burriana at the top of the province for monthly growth, with 64 more jobseekers (+3.29%) for a total of 2,011. Vila-real, the province's second town by jobless count after the capital, added 56 (+1.91%) to reach 2,995, with services accounting for 37 and construction for 20; Almassora rose by 53 (+3.15%) to 1,736; and the provincial capital, Castelló de la Plana, counted 11,667. These town-by-town figures come from Noticias CV's summary and are worth double-checking, as the outlet's page could not be read directly.

The numbers matter for the region's international residents too. Unemployment among foreign nationals in the Comunitat Valenciana rose by 2,720 in August (+4.61%) to 61,720, a 15.09% increase over the same month in 2025. Social security affiliation across the region fell by 22,256 (-0.96%) to 2,295,883 contributors, though 39,830 of those affiliations came from the regularisation of migrants.

What this means for you: if you work in services, hospitality or construction, expect a tighter market as the summer season winds down, which is the usual August pattern rather than a shock. The steep year-on-year rise in foreign jobseekers (+15.09%) is the figure to watch if you rely on temporary or seasonal contracts, so keeping your SEPE registration current protects your benefit rights while services hiring typically firms up again into autumn.

Weather today

Hot Wednesday, 30 in the city and up to 35 inland. Open-Meteo forecasts a hot day across the province on Wednesday 2 September 2026, with Valencia city between 22 and 30 degrees under partly cloudy skies, no rain and wind up to 14 km/h.

Inland, Ayora starts foggy and heats up sharply, swinging from a low of 18 to a high of 35 degrees, with a slim 5% chance of rain and gusts to 19 km/h. On the southern coast, Tavernes de la Valldigna stays milder at 22 to 29 degrees, partly cloudy and dry, with the same light 14 km/h breeze off the sea.

With highs at or above 34 degrees inland, treat this as a genuinely hot day: carry water, keep the strongest midday sun for indoors, and save any walk or run for early morning or after sunset when the air near the coast is more forgiving.

Transport & traffic

• A free EMT day and two festival days at Viveros. Valencia Bonita reports that Valencia is joining European Mobility Week again this September with two festival days at the Viveros gardens, one free EMT bus day and dozens of family activities. For anyone who normally pays per ride, the free-travel day is a chance to cross the city without topping up your card, and the two days at Viveros are built around family plans, part of a Europe-wide push to make everyday journeys more sustainable, accessible and safe. It is a low-cost weekend option if you want to test the bus network before committing to a season pass.
• AEMET yellow warning: storms and hail in northern Castellón. AEMET has activated a yellow warning for the Comunitat over strong storms, hail and up to 20 litres per square metre in a single hour, as Valencia Extra reports. The alert is centred on the northern interior of Castellón, though Valencia Extra notes the weather could shift and reach the rest of Valencian territory. If you are driving north today, plan for sudden, heavy downpours that can flood roads fast, and give yourself extra time rather than pushing through a cell.

What's changing for you

• Smart screens and tablets reach a Paterna public care home. Per Valencia Extra, the public La Cañada residence in Paterna has rolled out smart screens, tablets and voice speakers, funded by European money, to personalise care for its 96 residents. If you have an older relative in the Generalitat's public elderly-care system, this is worth noting: it signals the direction publicly funded care is taking, with EU-backed technology piloted first in a single residence before any wider roll-out. For now the change is concrete only for those 96 residents and their families in Paterna.

Local news to know

• El Saler reopens after the arson fire. El Saler has reopened its roads, beaches and buses, Valencia Secreta reports, after last Thursday's arson fire burned 37 hectares of the Devesa natural park and forced residents from the village.
• Soneja fire still active, 500 evacuated. According to Libertad Digital, the wildfire at Soneja in Castellón remains active after scorching 150 hectares and forcing the evacuation of 500 residents, with more than 220 ground crews and drones on the scene.
• Back-to-school plans at Nuevo Centro. The Nuevo Centro shopping centre has lined up a back-to-school September with PequeFiestas, music and family activities, as reported by Valencia Bonita.
• Compromís accuses Catalá over El Saler. elDiario.es Comunitat Valenciana reports that Compromís has accused Valencia mayor María José Catalá of lying about the El Saler fire, saying she neither changed the pruning contract nor pushed for the water cannons.

Tonight and tomorrow, Valencia

• Bryant Myers confirmed at Roig Arena. Latin trap star Bryant Myers, with more than 16 million monthly listeners, has confirmed a concert at Valencia's Roig Arena, with tickets already on sale, according to Valencia Secreta.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow