Catalonia ends 2017 with best unemployment numbers since 2007

If unemployment rates are anything to go by, the year ended on a positive note for Catalonia. In December 2017, 418,018 people were unemployed, 35,627 fewer than the same month of 2016; this, according to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, is also the best end-of-year for Catalan economy in that regard since 2007.

By groups, the 418,018 unemployed are distributed as 295,048 in the services sector, 48,182 in manufacturing, 37,745 in construction, 10,508 in agriculture and 26,535 as not having been previously employed. This change, as data that was released indicated, also equates to a year-on-year decrease of 7.58%.

Indeed, the number of those registered at the unemployment office also fell between November and December 2017 by 4,444 individuals, showing a decrease of 1.05%. This November to December decrease was seen in all groups, with the exception of construction, which registered an increase of 839 (2.27%).

Meanwhile, the sectors of services saw a decrease of 3,954 (-1.32%), in agriculture of 176 (-1.65%) and in manufacturing of 78 (-0.16%), while those without previous employment fell by 1,075 (-3.89%).

Registered unemployment in Catalonia ends the year with the lowest number of individuals without employment since December of 2007, which saw a number of 265,789.