Spain sees five consecutive months of recovery in employment

THE positive trend in the number of people in work in Spain looks to be getting stronger.
Data released on Thursday, July 2 by the Employment and Social Security Ministry showed that the number of jobless people in the country went down in June by 94,727 people, placing the total number of unemployed residents at 4,120,304, the lowest number since August 2011.
Unemployment has now been falling for five consecutive months, having decreased in February, when there were 13,500 fewer unemployed residents, March (60,200), April (119,000) and May (118,000).
If June’s figures are compared with the same month of 2014, there has been a decrease of 7.4 per cent.
Unemployment rates decreased in practically all sectors, the service industry being the one with a largest drop.
Male unemployment sits currently at 1,877,698, after decreasing by 53,462 people, while female unemployment reached 2,242,606 women, 41,265 fewer unemployed.
Amongst young people, where the crisis has hit hardest leaving those under 25 facing a real struggle to find work, things are also looking brighter, with 26,277 deregistering from the unemployment lists.
Rates have decreased in all autonomous communities, except for the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Noteworthy are the decreases in Cataluña (20,952 fewer unemployed), Madrid (14,090) and Castilla y Leon (8,255).
The types of jobs people are picking up also looks to be more stable, with permanent contracts increasing by 15 per cent if compared with the same period of 2014.
“These figures will encourage us to continue working for all those citizens who are looking for an opportunity and have not yet found one,” said new Employment Minister, Juan Pablo Riesgo.