unemployment

Neither ‘Brexit’ nor the lack of a government in Spain seem to have affected the progress of the Catalan economy, which registered 3.5% growth at the end of the second quarter of 2016 compared to the same period last year. According to figures released this Thursday by the Catalan Finance Ministry and the Catalan Statistics Institute (Idescat), the pace of growth in  the second quarter was 0.8% in terms of GDP, the same figure registered in the previous quarter. Regarding the economic sectors, industry registered the highest growth, even higher than the Eurozone average. Considering these figures, the forecasts for the whole of 2016 made by the Catalan Department for Economy may have to be revised upwards, since in May the body estimated a 2.9% growth for the whole year.

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. 

Unemployment has fallen again in Catalonia, with the number of people registered on the unemployment lists of the Employment Service of Catalonia (SOC)  recorded as 470,205 people, 15,918 fewer than in April, according to the Ministry of Employment and Social Security. This is the fourth consecutive month of decline in unemployment for Catalonia, showing numbers that have not been seen since January of 2009, seven years ago, before the economic crisis. In annual terms, there has been a decrease in unemployment by 61,694 people, and 35 consecutive months of annual decreases have now been recorded; additionally, these figures represent the largest drop ever recorded in absolute numbers since the beginning of the records in 1996. Specifically, the services sector saw the most significant decline in unemployment. In Spain as a whole, unemployment has also dropped, to 3,891,403 registered people.

Unemployment in Catalonia at the end of the first trimester of 2016 totalled 660,000 people, 98,100 fewer than in the same period last year. Thus, the unemployment rate was 17.42%, the lowest since the third trimestre of 2010, according to the latest Active Population Survey (EPA). Between January and March 2016, 25,700 joined the labour market and occupation grew in the industry sector. However, it decreased in the services, construction and agricultural sector. In the whole of Spain, unemployment rose by 0.25% this past trimester, setting the unemployment rate at 21% and totalling 4,791,400 people without a job. 

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.

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. 

There were 87,900 fewer jobseekers at the end of 2015 in comparison to the end of 2014, which represents the biggest annual drop since 2003, according to the latest Active Population Survey (EPA). This represents the 10^th consecutive month in which the rate of unemployment has decreased in Catalonia in comparison to 2014. The unemployment rate in Catalonia at the end of 2015 was 17.7%, 2 points lower than it was on the 31^st of December 2014. In the whole of Spain, there were 678,000 less unemployed at the end of 2015, the biggest drop in absolute numbers. In percentage terms, the unemployment rate was 20.9%, still higher than Catalonia’s.

There were 515,668 unemployed people in Catalonia at the end of 2015, which represents 60,280 fewer jobseekers than there were at the end of last year. This is the lowest figure since 2008, according to data released by the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security. In December alone, the number of unemployed people in Catalonia decreased by 5,992, which represents a fall of 1.15%. In the whole of Spain, 2015 registered 4,093,508 people without a job, nearly 8% lower than at the end of 2014, which is the highest annual drop in the historical series. More than 1.5 million new contracts were signed in the whole of Spain during 2015, however less than 7% of them were permanent. 

The number of jobless people in Catalonia at the end of the third quarter stood at 659,600, which means 66,500 less than in the same period last year. The 17.49% unemployment rate is the lowest in the last five years, according to the Active Population Survey (EPA) published this Thursday by the Spanish Institute of Statistics (INE). Catalonia is the Autonomous Community which led job creation in Spain:between July and September, 35,800 jobs were created, mainly in the service sector, due to seasonal contracts. In Spain as a whole, unemployment fell by nearly 300,000 people and 182,000 new jobs were created. The overall number of jobless people in Spain now stands at 4.8 million, a figure that hasn't been registered in the last four years and is below the 5 million  psychological barrier. 

This September 6,881 people lost their job, which raises the number of unemployed in Catalonia to 513,187. This figure represents the second month in a row with an increase in the unemployment rate, according to data published by the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security. However, there are 62,625 less unemployed people than in September last year and there have been 27 consecutive months with a lower unemployment rate in comparison to 2014. The number of unemployed in the whole of Spain was 4,094,000 people.

Registered unemployment in Catalonia rose by 4,521 people during the month of August and totalled 506,306 according to statistics published on Wednesday by the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security. However, the number of unemployed decreased by 11.43% compared to August 2014, which makes this month the best August since 1999. The monthly decline was caused mainly by the increase in unemployment in the services sector, which is to be expected considering that August marks the end of many seasonal contracts. The number of unemployed also increased in August in Spain as a whole, by 0.54%. The Spanish annual rate, however, was slightly less positive than the Catalan one, with unemployment in August decreasing by 8.13% in comparison with the same month last year. Overall, there are 21,679 more unemployed this month and the total number of people jobless in Spain is 4,067,955.

Registered unemployment decreased in Catalonia by 9,162 people in July compared to the previous month, the third-biggest drop for the month of July since 1996. The total number of people registered as unemployed with Catalonia’s Public Employment Service (SOC) at the end of the month was 501,785 individuals, which represents an 11.69% drop in annual terms, the highest percentage decrease since April 2000 (when registered unemployment dropped 11.94% compared to 1999 figures). In addition, the figures from July mean that there have now been 25 consecutive months of annual drops in the number of unemployed in Catalonia. As well as this, the total number of Catalans without a job and looking for one at the end of last month was the lowest  since July 2009 (when there were 495,911 jobless people). In Spain as a whole, registered unemployment decreased by 74,028 people from June to July, which represents an 8.45% annual drop and is Spain’s most significant decrease for the month of July since 1998.

At the end of June there were 31,900 fewer jobseekers in Catalonia than in March and 44,200 less than a year ago, according to the Active Population Survey for the second quarter of the year released on Thursday. These figures mean Catalonia's total number of unemployed was 726,200 individuals and that the unemployment rate was 19.1% at the end of the second quarter. In March, the unemployment rate was 20.05%; in December, 19.88%; and in September, 19.1% as well, the same as for June of this year. In addition, the number of people with a job increased by 51,800 individuals between March and June, a 1.71% increase in quarterly terms. Compared to a year ago, in June there were 35,000 more people with a job than in June 2014. At Spanish level, unemployment also decreased during the second quarter of the year, with 295,600 fewer jobseekers registered, a 5.43% reduction on figures from March. In the whole of Spain, there were 5,149,000 people without a job and a 22.37% unemployment rate overall.

The Brussels-based Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) and Barcelona-based Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) think tanks, together with an Italian and a Greek research centre, have presented a report stating that the economy of an independent Catalonia would grow more in the next 15 years than if the current 'status quo' was kept. The study analyses 3 different scenarios: the current model, an agreed independence process and a unilateral declaration of independence. In either case of independence, the Catalan economy would be in better shape in the long-run than if the current framework was kept, the researchers conclude. However, in the event of a unilateral process, there may be negative economic effects in the short-term, mostly due to uncertainties related to EU Membership. Nonetheless, they consider the current inter-territorial fiscal scheme – imposed by the Spanish Government – "unsustainable at macroeconomic level" for Catalonia.

According to 'Memòria Econòmica 2014' (an annual analysis promoted by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce), last year the Catalan economy registered its best performance since the start of the economic crisis. In particular, for the first time since 2007, positive net results in terms of employment were recorded. However, current GDP is still 6% below 2007 levels and will remain so until 2016. In addition, if growth continues at the current rate, employment will only reach 2007 levels in seven years, which means in 2021. According to the report's estimates, at the end of 2015, Catalonia will record a 3% GDP growth.