Unemployment falls by 9,044 in July and returns to 2008 levels
The number of people registered on the unemployment lists in Catalonia in July stood at 441,016 people, 9,044 fewer than in June, according to the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security. July represents the sixth consecutive month in which the unemployment rate has decreased and has now returned to 2008 levels, in particular those of December of that year, when the number of unemployed in Catalonia stood at 423,232. Since 2010 unemployment has usually fallen in July, due to seasonal contracts and summer sales. However, this year not only the services but all economic sectors contributed to this decline. In the whole of Spain, the number of unemployed fell by 83,993 and totalled 3,683,061, the biggest decline in July since 1997.