Unemployment falls for sixth straight month, down to pre-pandemic levels

Unemployment in Catalonia fell for the sixth month straight in August, with 391,128 people currently registered as seeking a job—the lowest since December 2019, a few months before the global economy was shaken by the coronavirus pandemic.

After peaking at 512,290 people out of work last February, coinciding with the third wave of Covid-19 infections, unemployment has steadily decreased, bolstered by the gradual lifting of restrictions on mobility and businesses.

In August alone, the number of people without a job decreased by 17,186—the first time in over a decade that unemployment continues to fall after the month of July, when the summer holiday season reaches its peak demand for workers.

Within a year, the number of jobless has shrunk by 89,514, representing an 18.6% decrease.

However, the job market's recovery might not last long. Temporary jobs account for 88% of new contracts, and the service sector, which includes the tourism industry, accounts for the overwhelming majority of jobs added over the past month.

The latest unemployment figures, released by Spain's Ministry of Labour and Social Economy on Tuesday, account for the number of people registered in social services as looking for a job.

Workers on furlough due to the pandemic, however, are not included.

In Spain as a whole, the number of people seeking a job fell by 82,583, the biggest fall ever reported in the month of August. According to the latest figures, 3.3 million people are registered as unemployed, down by 675,000 from last February, steadily decreasing over the past six months.