Unemployment falls by 20,145 in June, biggest decline since 2008
There were 20,145 fewer unemployed this past June in Catalonia in relation to the previous month, which sets the total number of unemployed at 450,060. Although unemployment usually falls in June, due to seasonal contracts and summer sales, the figure registered this year is situated in numbers not seen since December 2008. With this decline, Catalonia has now registered three consecutive years of declining unemployment in annual terms and June represents the fifth consecutive month in which the unemployment rate has decreased. Catalonia leads the unemployment decline in Spain, where the total number of people unemployed is now 3,767,054, the second lowest figure in the historic series.
Barcelona (CNA).- The number of people registered on the unemployment lists in Catalonia in June stood at 450,060 people, 20,145 fewer than in May, according to the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security. With this decline, Catalonia has now registered three consecutive years of declining unemployment in annual terms and June represents the fifth consecutive month in which the unemployment rate has decreased. Although unemployment usually falls in June, due to seasonal contracts and summer sales, the figure registered this year is situated in numbers not seen since December 2008. In the whole of Spain, the number of unemployed fell by 124,369 and totalled 3,767,054, the second lowest figure in the historic series.
Since the beginning of 2016, the number of unemployed in Catalonia fell by 65,608 and this June represents the biggest percentage decline for this month in the last 20 years.
Decline in all sectors
Catalonia leads the unemployment decline in Spain, followed by Andalusia, andthe drop was recorded in all sectors of economic activity. The agriculture sector saw a decline of 602 people and registered its best June since the historic series began, in 2001. The unemployment in the industry sector fell by 3.45% in comparison to May and 16.2% in relation to June 2015. The construction sector also saw a 3.26% decline in the number of unemployed in comparison to the previous month and a 20.14% drop in comparison to June last year. Finally, there were 15,158 fewer unemployed in the services sector in comparison to May, which represents a 4.76% decline and in relation to June 2015 the unemployment rate in this sector decreased by 10.09%.
Contracts and coverage benefits
The number of contracts registered in Catalonia in June stood at 296,891 units, which represents a 13.45% increase in comparison to the same month last year. Although only 11.32% of contracts signed were permanent, this figure is an increase of 26.35% in comparison to June 2015. The number of temporary contracts also grew by 12%.
Regarding the coverage of benefits for the unemployed, the Ministry of Labour does the calculations in relation to May, a month before the unemployment data for June. In Catalonia, the coverage rate was 53.7%. This percentage indicates that nearly half of those unemployed do not receive any financial benefit.