Unemployment dropped by almost 19,000 people last June

Madrid (ACN).- The number of unemployed people in Catalonia dropped by 18,948 job seekers in June, according to data released by the Spanish Ministry for Employment. The total number of people registered as unemployed in Catalonia was 576,394 at the end of June 2011, corresponding to a 3.18% drop compared to the previous month. The main reason for the drop was the high-number of tourism-related new contracts. It is the third consecutive month that unemployment has fallen in Catalonia. However, the numbers are not as good compared to those registered one year ago, at the end of June 2010. Twelve months ago, there were 22,133 less people registered as unemployed, which means that unemployment was 3.99% higher at the end of June 2011 compared to one year ago. In Spain as a whole, unemployment dropped by 67,858 people at the end of last month, a 1.62% drop compared to last May’s data. Just like in Catalonia, the unemployment figures at the end of June 2011 are higher than the figures from a year ago. It has grown by 139,433 people in the last 12 months, a 3.5% increase. June is traditionally a good month for employment figures, because it is a period when contracts related to the tourism industry are signed. Despite the good tourist season, this year’s unemployment decrease is less significant than last year; in June there have been 7.000 fewer contracts signed in Catalonia compared to June 2010.

Despite June being traditionally a good month, fewer people found a new job than the previous year. In June 2010, unemployment dropped by 20,475 people in Catalonia, while last June it dropped by 18,948, 7.46%. However, June 2010 was also the month of June with the highest unemployment drop since 2005, when the Spanish Ministry of Employment began releasing figures for individual Autonomous Communities.

Fewer new contracts than in June 2010

Regarding the number of new contracts, a good indicator at observing the economic situation, in June 2010 196,745 contracts were signed in Catalonia, 3.43% less than those from June 2010. In June 2010, 203,736 contracts were signed. However, those two figures are still far away the June 2006’s record, when 256,405 new contracts were signed.

The services sector leads the unemployment drop

Looking at each industry individually, the services sector was the most active industry last June, with 12,141 fewer people registered as unemployed. The figure corresponds to 64% of all the people who signed off the unemployment register at the end of June. Following the services sector, the industrial sector also saw a positive change last month, with 3,048 fewer people registered at the Catalan Public Employment Service (SOC), corresponding to 19% of the total unemployment reduction. The third sector contributing to the unemployment decrease was construction, with 2,460 less people registered, 13% of the unemployment reduction. 1,147 people who signed off did not have a previous job and they represent 6% of the total unemployment reduction.

90.3% of the new contracts are temporary

Looking at the types of contracts, 90.3% of the new contracts are temporary. Despite the Spanish Government approving the labour market reform almost a year ago, for the first time since 2005, fix-term contracts are less than 10% of the new contracts registered in a month. Last June, 177,660 new temporary contracts were signed. They represented 90.30% of the total contracts, while in June 2010 they represented 89.58%.

Girona, where unemployment decreased the most in relative terms

In the Province of Girona unemployment decreased the most in relative terms compared to the previous month. In Girona there were a total of 50,582 unemployed people at the end of last June, 3,323 less than those registered in May 2011, a 6.16% drop. It is the highest drop in Catalonia and one of the highest in the whole of Spain, only surpassed by Melilla, Salamanca, Segovia and Soria. In relation to June 2010 figures, unemployment increased by 819 people, a 1.65% increase. Girona also has the highest increase in new job contracts signed, with a 17.99% increase compared to figures from May 2011.

Lleida is the second province where unemployment dropped the most in relative terms. In total, Lleida had 27,457 people registered as unemployed at the end of last June, 1,465 less than in May, which represents a 5.07% decrease. However, as in the rest of the country, compared to June 2010, unemployment increased by 1,601 people, a 6.19% growth.

In Tarragona there were 2,925 less people registered as unemployed, a 4.39% decrease in relation to May’s figures. In total, at the end of June there were 63,667 unemployed people in Tarragona Province. Compared to the June 2010 total, there has been a 5.02% increase in the last 12 months, which means 3,044 more people.

Finally, the province of Barcelona is where unemployment reduced more in absolute terms. At the end of June 2011, there were 434,688 unemployed people in Barcelona Province, 11,235 less than last May, a 2.52% drop. Looking at the last 12 months, unemployment increased by 16,669 people, a 3.99% increase. Regarding the number of contracts, Barcelona is the only Catalan province where fewer contracts were signed in June than in May 2010, since the tourism industry is very active throughout the year and does not concentrate so much its activity in the summer time. In Barcelona, 141,517 contracts were signed in June, 4,039 less than those registered in May, a 2.77% drop.