Es la solicitud de un puesto de trabajo que realiza un trabajador, desempleado o no, ante una Oficina de los Servicios Públicos de Empleo del Sistema Nacional de Empleo.

A partir de mayo de 2004 se ofrece información sobre demandantes de empleo clasificando estas solicitudes en tres grupos:

• Ocupados: son aquellos demandantes que teniendo ya un empleo buscan uno mejor o compatibilizarlo con el que ya realizan (ejemplo: mejor empleo, pluriempleo, etc).
• Con disponibilidad limitada: son aquellos demandantes, sin empleo, que indican en su solicitud condiciones especiales de trabajo (ejemplo: sólo a domicilio, teletrabajo, en el extranjero, etc).
• Demandantes de empleo no ocupados (DENOS): este grupo de demandantes de empleo lo componen aquellos que ya se consideraban parados en las estadísticas tradicionales del SPEE (antiguo INEM) y algunos colectivos que, aún no considerándose como desempleados por éstas, como los demandantes de servicios previos al empleo, sí se incluyen como parados en la Encuesta de Población Activa, que a los parados registrados les agrega colectivos tales como estudiantes, trabajadores eventuales agrícolas subsidiados, etc.
  Esta magnitud se utiliza desde finales de los 90 para la distribución de los Fondos de Políticas Activas de Empleo a las Comunidades Autónomas que tienen transferida su gestión, en el marco de los antiguos Planes Nacionales de Acción para el Empleo, actualmente englobados en el Programa Nacional de Reformas de España.

Unemployment Recorded consists of total employment applications high, recorded by the SPEE, existing on the last day of each month, excluding that correspond to work situations described in the Ministerial Order 11 March 1985 (B.O.E. of 14 / 3 / 85 ) laying down statistical criteria for the measurement of unemployment Recorded.

According to the content of the Ministerial Order11March1985(B.O.E. of14/3/85) laying down statistical criteria for the measurement of unemployment recorded, are excluded from It all those demands that at the end of the month of reference are in any of the following situations:

• Plaintiffs seeking alternative employment compatible with the exercising (Moonlighting).
• Plaintiffs who, being occupied, apply for a job for changed at have (better employment).
• Plaintiffs recipients of unemployment benefits involved in work of Social partnership (Social Partnership).
• Demandantes que son pensionistas de jubilación, pensionistas por gran invalidez o invalidez absoluta y demandantes de edad igual o superior a65years (Retirees).
• Plaintiffs seeking a job for a period of less than3months (Cyclical Employment).
• Plaintiffs seeking a job with less time20hours per week (< Time20hours).
• Plaintiffs who are studying formal education whenever they are under25years or that overcoming this age are plaintiffs first job (Students).
• Plaintiffs attending courses of Vocational Occupational when their hours exceed the20a week, have a scholarship at least maintenance and are plaintiffs first job(Students).
• Plaintiffs with demand suspended in both remain in this situation since the suspension of demand, which is generally processed at the request of the applicant and by justification, cut job search (Demands suspended).
• Plaintiffs recipients of unemployment benefits in compatibility of employment by conducting a part-time job (Compatibility benefits).
• Plaintiffs who are seeing the agricultural subsidy or, having exhausted, has not passed a period of more than one year from the date of birth of the right (Workers Subsidized Agricultural potential).
• Plaintiffs to reject actions of labour insertion appropriate to their characteristics, as stipulated in the Art.17paragraph2of the Royal Legislative Decree5/2000,4August (rejection of actions of employment).
• Plaintiffs without immediate availability for work or incompatible with the same as plaintiffs registered to participate in a selection process for a particular job, a job seekers exclusively for the stranger, seeking a job only at home, plaintiffs of pre-employment services, plaintiffs that under a dossier employment regulation, are in a situation of suspension or reduction of day or modification of working conditions, etc. (Other causes).