Peinado Reillo, new Undersecretary of Labor and Social Economy by royal decree

The Council of Ministers on October 13, 2026, approved the appointment of María Concepción Peinado Reillo as Undersecretary of Labor and Social Economy, proposed by the Second Vice President of the Government and Minister of Labor and Social Economy. The agreement is formalized in Royal Decree 841/2026, of October 13, published in the Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado) no. 255, of October 14, 2026, section II.A, page 136681 (official reference BOE-A-2026-21323).

The text, signed by the King and countersigned by the Second Vice President of the Government and Minister of Labor and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz Pérez, is limited to a standard formula: “At the proposal of the Second Vice President of the Government and Minister of Labor and Social Economy, and following deliberation by the Council of Ministers in its meeting on October 13, 2026, I hereby appoint Ms. María Concepción Peinado Reillo as Undersecretary of Labor and Social Economy.” The royal decree was issued on October 13, 2026, and its publication in the gazette occurred the following day, within the section for appointments, statuses, and incidents.

The position became vacant following the dismissal of José Ramón del Prado Cortés, arranged by Royal Decree 794/2026, of September 29, published in the Official State Gazette no. 241, of September 30, 2026, page 128002 (reference BOE-A-2026-20305), with express gratitude for the services rendered. The vacancy is now filled by a person from within the department itself.

A career linked to the ministry’s cabinets

The new undersecretary does not come from outside the ministry. Her appointment follows immediately after her departure from the Cabinet of the Secretary of State for Labor:

• Order TES/1081/2026, of October 9, which arranges her dismissal as Director of the Cabinet of the Secretary of State for Labor, effective October 13, 2026, in accordance with article 16 of Law 50/1997, of November 27, on the Government (Official State Gazette no. 254, of October 13, 2026, page 136418; reference BOE-A-2026-21255).
• Order TES/1341/2023, of December 11, by which she was appointed Director of the Cabinet of the Secretary of State for Labor effective December 6, 2023, by virtue of article 61 f) of Law 40/2015, of October 1, on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, and article 16.2 of Law 50/1997 (Official State Gazette no. 299, of December 15, 2023, page 165499; reference BOE-A-2023-25421).
• Order TES/56/2020, of January 21, by which she was appointed Director of the Cabinet of the Secretary of State for Employment and Social Economy (reference BOE-A-2020-1131).

The chaining of the three resolutions outlines a profile of political trust within the Labor area, having previously passed through the cabinet of the Secretary of State for Employment and, subsequently, that of the Secretary of State for Labor.

What the Undersecretariat Manages

The Undersecretariat of Labor and Social Economy is the governing body responsible for the management of common services, personnel, the economic and budgetary regime, and the coordination of the bodies dependent on the department. Its organizational framework is established in Royal Decree 499/2020, of April 28, which develops the basic organic structure of the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy, whose article 5.1.d) attributes specific competencies to this body.

Dependent on the Undersecretariat, among others, are the State Public Employment Service and the State Body for Labor and Social Security Inspection, in addition to the department’s provincial directorates. The relevance of the position is evident in the activity published in the bulletin: the outgoing undersecretary habitually signed personnel and management resolutions, such as the one from September 24, 2026, published on October 7 (BOE-A-2026-20849).

Processing and Effects

The appointment follows the ordinary procedure for high-ranking officials of the department: agreement by the Council of Ministers, a royal decree endorsed by the proposing minister, and publication in the Official State Gazette for its effectiveness and publicity. The regulation appears in section II.A of the bulletin, dedicated to appointments, situations, and incidents, alongside other destination resolutions from the ministries of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts, Treasury, and Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory.

The royal decree does not incorporate a transitional regime or additional conditions: its content is exhausted in the appointment, without an express deadline for taking office in the published text.

The change in the administrative leadership of the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy affects the ordinary management of personnel, contracting, and budget of a department with competencies over employment, labor inspection, and social economy. For readers interested in labor administration, the arrival of a person coming from the cabinets of the ministry itself points to continuity in the management line and a reinforcement of internal control over the dependent bodies.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 255, October 14, 2026, section II.A, page 136681 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-21323).