Catalonia registered the best February in 20 years in terms of unemployment
This past February showed the biggest decrease in registered unemployment in Catalonia for 20 years with 7,843 fewer people unemployed than in January. According to official data from the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security released this Wednesday, Catalonia led the decline in unemployment in Spain as a whole and has now accumulated 32 consecutive months of annual decreases. The services sector led the unemployment decrease, followed by industry and construction, whereas the agriculture sector added 522 people to the unemployment lists. While Catalonia was the Autonomous Community which registered the highest drop in unemployment in February, unemployment rose in Spain as a whole by 2,231 people and broke the positive trend registered each February for the last two years.
Barcelona (CNA).- Catalonia registered the highest drop in the unemployment rate for February since the data series began, in 1996. According to official data from the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security released this Wednesday, there were 510,237 unemployed in Catalonia, 7,843 fewer than in January. The services sector led the unemployment decrease, followed by industry and construction, whereas the agriculture sector added 522 people to the unemployment lists. With this decline, the highest in the whole of Spain, Catalonia has now accumulated 32 consecutive months of annual decreases and continues to lead the unemployment decline in Spain. On the other hand, unemployment rose by 2,231 people in Spain as a whole and broke the positive trend registered each February for the last two years.
Catalonia registered its best February in terms of unemployment since 1996, when the data series began. The best February previous to this was registered in 1998, when Catalonia registered 5,900 fewer unemployed people.
Although unemployment fell in the four Catalan regions, Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, the highest drop was registered in the Catalan capital, which also set a record decline for the month of February.
On the other hand, unemployment grew by 2,231 people in Spain as a whole, totalling 4,152,986 unemployed and breaking the positive trend registered in February 2014 and 2015.
The services sector led the decline
The sector which registered the highest drop in the unemployment rate was the services sector. There were 6,355 fewer unemployed in this sector, which has now registered 27 consecutive months of annual decreases.
Unemployment in the industrial sector has now returned to 2008 levels, with 1,676 fewer unemployed.
The construction services sector has taken 1,333 people off the unemployment lists.
Number of contracts returns to 2008 levels
The number of work contracts signed in February reached 215,393, which represents 16.5% more than in the same month last year and have returned to pre-crisis levels. The number of work contracts registered in February was very similar to the 215,962 registered in February 2008.
Although most of these contracts were temporary (184,843), the number of permanent contracts grew by 16.27% in February, totalling 30,550.