Unemployment in Catalonia below 500,000 people, lowest figure since 2009

The number of unemployed registered in Catalonia totalled 499,991 this past March, which represents 10,246 less than in February. According to the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security, this drop was mainly due to Easter seasonal hiring. This figure is below 500,000 unemployed, which hasn’t happened since July 2009. Moreover, the decrease registered this past month is the highest for a March month since the data series began, in 1996. Although unemployment fell in all the sectors, the one which registered the highest drop in the unemployment rate was the services sector. Unemployment in Catalonia now seen 33 months of annual decreases and continues to lead the unemployment decline in Spain. In the whole of Spain, the number of unemployment people reached 4,094,770, some 58,216 fewer than in February.

Image of a job's centre in Catalonia (by ACN)
Image of a job's centre in Catalonia (by ACN) / ACN

ACN

April 4, 2016 03:09 PM

Barcelona (CNA).- There were 10,246 fewer unemployed this past March in Catalonia in relation to the previous month, which sets the total number of unemployed at 499,991. This figure is below 500,000 unemployed, which hasn’t happened since July 2009. Moreover, the decrease registered this past month is the highest for a March month since the data series began, in 1996. According to data released by the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security, this drop was mainly due to Easter seasonal hiring. Although unemployment fell in all the sectors, the one which registered the highest drop in the unemployment rate was the services sector. Unemployment in Catalonia has now seen 33 months of annual decreases and continues to lead the unemployment decline in Spain. In the whole of Spain, the number of unemployment reached 4,094,770 people, 58,216 fewer than in February.


The data series, which began in 1996, show that this past month all the records were broken for a March month, both in monthly and annual absolute terms. By the end of March there were 10,246 fewer people registered on the unemployment lists than in February and 71,664 less than in March 2015. Both drops are the highest registered since 1996. 

 

Thus, Catalonia has now accumulated 33 months of annual decreases and continues to lead the unemployment decline in Spain, followed by the Valencian Community.

 

In Spain as a whole, the number of unemployed in March totalled 4,094,770, which represents 58,216 fewer than in February. However, the drop in the unemployment rate was higher in March 2015, when 60,214 were taken off the unemployment lists. Throughout the last twelve months, unemployment in Spain as a whole decreased by 357,169, which represents an 8.02% drop. Unemployment amongst youngsters under the age of 25 decreased by 43,416 throughout this year, 11.1% less than in March 2015.

 

The services sector led the decline

Although all the sectors registered a drop in the unemployment rate, the service sector saw the highest decrease, due to Easter seasonal hiring. There were 8,313 fewer unemployed in this sector by the end of March.

Employment in the industrial sector has taken 1,218 people off the unemployment lists, followed by the construction services with 572 fewer unemployed and 149 fewer in the agricultural sector. 

More temporary contracts

The number of work contracts signed in March reached 227,813, which represents 4.2% more than in the same month last year and the best March in terms of contracts since 2007. 

However, most of these contracts (85.4%) were temporary, totalling 194.703 and increasing by 4.3% in comparison to the same month last year. Only 14.5% of the work contracts signed this past March were permanent.