Better unemployment figures in Spain

The number of unemployed people in Spain dropped a record 110,000 in April, according to Spain’s Employment and Social Security Ministry.

The sharp drop was the biggest seen in the fourth month of the year since records began using the current system in 1996.  

In comparison to April 2013, employment has dropped by 305,000. The total number of unemployment remains high though, standing at 4.7 million people.

Unemployment fell in all sectors of Spain’s economy in April, with the service sector leading the way, with a drop of 84,706, followed by construction, manufacturing and agriculture.

Last month the number of jobless people under the age of 25 dropped by 15,708 to 415,977.

Around 1.56 million foreign workers were registered with the Social Security System last month, up by 27,732 from the March level according to the ministry.

The ministry also said that a total of 1.29 million labour contracts, up 6.57% from March, were signed in April.

The Labour Ministry lists the number of unemployed, not the level of unemployment, which at the moment, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE), is at 25.9%.

Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called the results a reversal of trend. He stated on Cadena SER radio that the economy is recovering.

Rajoy said: “In the coming months, there will be even more new jobs created.”