Unemployment in Catalonia ends 2014 with a 19.88% rate and 83,000 less jobseekers than in 2013

Barcelona (ACN).- Catalonia posted a 19.88% unemployment rate at the end of 2014, almost 4 percentage points lower than the rate for the whole of Spain, which was 23.70% (including Catalan figures). On 31 December 2014, there were 756,500 unemployed people in Catalonia, which represents 83,000 less jobseekers than a year ago, according to the last Active Population Survey (EPA) published by the Spanish Statistics Institute (INE). Despite the positive annual results, unemployment increased by 30,500 in quarterly terms, compared to figures from the end of September 2014. Back then, Catalonia's unemployment rate was 19.10%. In terms of employed people, the Catalan economy ended 2014 with 49,300 more individuals in employment than at the end of 2013, reaching 3,048,100 workers. This represents a 1.64% increase, but it is below the 2.53% average for the whole of Spain. The Catalan Government is said to be "moderately optimistic" with the figures released this Thursday. It also highlighted that both 2014 and 2013 ended with less unemployed people in annual terms, accumulating two consecutive years of decreased numbers.

On 31 December 2014, there were 756,500 unemployed individuals in Catalonia. This represents 30,400 more unemployed people than 3 months ago. However, in annual terms, it represents a reduction of 83,000. 2013 ended with 86,100 less unemployed than 2012. This means that the number of unemployed people overall decreased both in 2013 and 2014, despite some isolated quarterly increases, such as the one of the last quarter.

Catalonia's active population dropped by 0.88% in annual terms during 2014

Furthermore, the size of Catalonia's active population (which is the people with a job or actively looking for one) increased by 3,800 people between October and December 2014. However, between September 2011 and December 2014, Catalonia's active population decreased by 181,600 people, a 4.56% reduction. In annual terms, the size of the active population decreased by 33,700 individuals in Catalonia, a fall of 0.88%.

Combining the active population and the number of unemployed people, Catalonia's unemployment rate went from 19.10% to 19.88% over this last quarter, from 726,100 jobless people to 756,500. However, at the end of December 2013, Catalonia's unemployment rate was 22.26%, with 820,400 jobless.

Unemployment rate drops throughout Catalonia in annual terms

Looking at the 4 Catalan provinces, the unemployment rate had the same behaviour both in annual and quarterly terms throughout Catalonia's entire territory. In the Province of Barcelona – which accounts for two-thirds of the Catalan population – the unemployment rate decreased from 21.74% at the end of 2013 to 19.50% at the end of 2014. However, in September 2014 it was 19.11%. In the Province of Girona (north-eastern Catalonia), it went from 24.08% to 22.41%, while 3 months ago it was 20.32%, In the Tarragona Province (southern Catalonia), the unemployment rate went from 27.03% to 23.12% over the last year, while in September it was 20.78%. Finally, in the Province of Lleida (western Catalonia), the unemployment rate went from16.23% to 14.46%, while 3 months ago it was 13.52%.

Employment grew in annual terms but decreased in quarterly figures

Looking at the employment figures, there were 3,048,100 workers in Catalonia at the end of 2014. This means 26,700 less than 3 months ago. This represents a 0.87% decrease, while in the whole of Spain the number of employed grew by 0.37% over the last quarter of 2014.  However, at the end of December 2013, there were only 2,998,800 people with a job in Catalonia, which means that a year later there were 49,300 more people with a job. The employment figure dropped in all the economic sectors except construction, in which there was 7.26% more employed people in quarterly terms. The agricultural sector saw a 3.7% decrease, the industrial sector, a 1.61% decrease, and that of services a 0.79% decrease.

Spain's unemployment rate was 23.70% at the end of 2014

Regarding the whole of Spain, 2014 ended with a 23.70% unemployment rate. This shows a reduction from the 25.73% registered a year ago, with 477,900 less unemployed. However, in quarterly terms, unemployment increased during the period between October and December 2014. At the end of the year, unemployment had grown by 30,100, going from a rate of 23.67% in September to a rate of 23.79% in December. Regarding employment figures, the number of people with a job increased during the last quarter by 65,100 individuals and reached 17,569,100 employed in Spain overall. It is the first time since December 2006 that employment figures grew during the last quarter of the year. In annual terms, employment grew by 433,900 individuals, showing a 2.53% increase.