Catalan unemployment rate is 1.8% lower than in August 2012

Barcelona (ACN).- Figures released on Tuesday by the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security have revealed that the rate of unemployment in Catalonia has decreased by 1.8% this August compared to the same month of 2012. This means there has been a reduction of 11,224 in the level of unemployment which currently stands at 611,658. In spite of these positive figures, between July and August of this year the unemployment rate did increase by 0.2% (1,200 people) which is said to be because of temporary summer work positions coming to an end. 

The Catalan Secretary of Employment and Labour Relations, Ramon Bonastre, noted how the 1.8% reduction shows that the economy is on the “right tracks” to recovery but it is still an “insufficient” amount. He highlighted the need to focus on the “efforts” of the Government as they try to complete this “turnaround”. Meanwhile in Spain as a whole, unemployment fell for the first time between July and August since 2000, but only by 31 people.

“The worst is over”

Bonastre noted how these positive figures show that “the worst is over” and that “with the efforts of the unions, employers and the Government we are starting to experience a trend that will let us see if it really permanent or not”. In any case, Bonastre has admitted that the reduction is “insufficient” as there are still 610,000 people registered with the Employment Service of Catalonia (SOC). He failed to discuss the level of emigration by young people who do not have possibilities to obtain work in Catalonia, because they are not recorded by the SOC, and are not in their official records so it is “difficult” to evaluate them.

A reduction in unemployment for the first time in August since 2000 in Spain

Between July and August of this year, Spain managed to reduce its amount of unemployed people for the first time since 2000, but with only a slight reduction of 31 people. The Spanish unemployment rate stood at 4,698,783 in August and has fallen for six consecutive months with 340,000 people less being unemployed.