Town in Spain’s Costa del Sol on Border with Gibraltar sees Huge Increase in Unemployment

THIS year sees the 150th anniversary of the founding of the town of La Linea de la Concepcion which sits on the border with Gibraltar.

What should have been a very positive year for the town is of course blighted by the spectre of the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic and the fact that because of the lockdown both there and in Gibraltar, there are now more than 9,000 unemployed in the town.

Luckily, a number of those are cross-border workers who are receiving an element of financial assistance from the Gibraltar government and some 2,000 are still working on the Rock undertaking mainly care and health related employment.

The La Linea Council says that there is a looming food shortage amongst the unemployed as their needs are much greater than voluntary bodies can cope with and is appealing for local companies to try to create more employment and also to regional government to come to the town’s aid.

One piece of good news is that ONCE the Spanish Organisation for the Blind has decided that its July 19 lottery which is sold via 20,000 outlets throughout Spain will depict the town and celebrate its anniversary.

Perhaps residents of La Linea will be lucky enough to pick winning numbers in their anniversary edition.