2011 Closed with Highest Unemployed Rate Since 1994
January 30th, 2012
The number of unemployed in Spain has surpassed the 5 million mark for the first time, ending 2011 with 5,273,600 unemployed, according to the Labour Force Survey (EPA), released on Friday by the National Statistics Institute. The unemployment rate increased by 1.33 points to 22.85%, which is the highest it has been since the first quarter of 1994, when it reached 24.55%.
The figure is, however, lower than that forecast by the finance minister, Cristobal Montoro, who on Thursday predicted that the number of people unemployed in Spain would reach 5,400,000 million.
Moreover, ABC News reported that in the fourth quarter an additional 348,700 people lost their jobs, bringing the total number of people in work at the end of 2011 to 17,807,500 with the activity rate falling to 59.94%. Unemployment among people who lost their job more than a year ago increased by 201,900 in this quarter and decreased by 15,000 among those seeking their first job.
The number of salaried employees decreased by 350,200, with permanent contracts falling by 104,200, while temporary contracts decreased by 246,000. The temporary rate dropped more than one point and stood at 24.98%.
Part-time employment increased in this quarter by 60,000 people, while the number in full-time employment fell by 408,700. The percentage of people working part-time increased six-tenths to 13.81%.
A million and a half households inactive
Households with all members unemployed rose in 2011 by 247,000, reaching 1,575,000, and represented an 18.6% increase over 2010. Moreover, in Spain there are 4,384,400 households without any active member, which is 4,500 less than in the third quarter of 2011 but 91,600 more than at the end of 2010.
Households with at least one active member totalled 13,009,900, which is a 0.21% increase over the third quarter of 2011 and 0.39% more than in 2010.
For the full year, the male unemployment totalled 294,800 people (an increase of 11.58%) and female unemployment totalled 282,200, 13.12% more.
By age, between October and December unemployment rose particularly among people of 25-54 years (286,700) followed by those in the 55 years and over group (42,400), and fell for those between 20-24 years (6,400) and also for those between the ages of 16 to 19 (27,400).
By sector, unemployment decreased in agriculture (with 42,300 fewer unemployed) and in construction (by 2,900). On the other hand, it increased in industry (with 29,100 more) and services (124,500 more).
By region, the unemployment rate is as follows: Andalusia (31.23%), Aragon (16.84%), Asturias (18.90%), the Balearic Islands (25.20%), the Canary Islands (30.93%), Cantabria (15.93%), Castilla y Leon (17.16%), Castilla La Mancha (24.45%), Catalonia (20.50%), Valencia (25.45%), Extremadura (28.59%), Galicia (18.30%), Murcia (26.77%), Navarre (13.82%), the Basque Country (12.61%), La Rioja (18.70%), Ceuta (29.16%) and Melilla (28.13%).
2011 became the fifth consecutive year for increasing numbers of unemployed. In 2007, unemployment increased by 117,000 people, in 2008 it rose by 1,280,300, by 1,118,600 people in 2009 and in 2010 it increased by a further 370,100 people.
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