Jobless cash grant kept – Spain News

THE €400 monthly unemployment grant will remain in place until unemployment rates fall below 20 per cent, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has announced.

Following the announcement of historically high unemployment levels from the National Institute of Statistics, which revealed more than 26 per cent of the active population was unemployed at the end of 2012, he said that the payment, available to those whose normal unemployment pay has run out and meet certain requirements, will remain in place.

“We are going to continue making changes which will help growth and employment and continue to help, as much as available public resources allow, people who are in the worst situation,” he said.

Rajoy, during a rapid visit to Peru, also admitted that Spain is living “the hardest moment of all.”

The visit, and meeting with Peruvian Prime Minister Ollanta Humala, came following the South American country’s announcement that it was renewing its contracts with Telefonica for 18 years and 10 months.

Spain is the main investor in Peru and its main partner in cooperation efforts.  The number of Spaniards living in Peru increased 10 per cent to 19,578 in 2012, compared to the previous year, according to the Spanish Consulate in Lima.