Unemployment increases by 14,644 in Catalonia in October

Unemployment rose by 14,644 people in Catalonia in October, taking the total number of people without a job to 387,267, according to figures released by the Spanish Ministry of Labour on Tuesday.

Unemployment has been decreasing yearly in Catalonia for 78 consecutive months since July 2013, after it had skyrocketed following the 2008 financial crisis, taking unemployment levels to 600,000 people in Catalonia. 

An October increase is by no means out of the ordinary, since many are looking for a job after the summer holidays and temporary tourism-related jobs drop with the arrival of Autumn.

While there are now 3,930 fewer people jobless in Catalonia than at this stage last year, this increase ranks more highly in terms of recent October increases. It matches that of 2017 (14,698) and 2011 (14,628), but there is no significantly higher figure since 2008, in which due to the beginning of the crisis unemployment grew by 23,784 people.

Spain saw an increase of 97,948 people in October, a 3.18% total increase. There are now nearly 3.178 million people without a job in the state. Despite the increase, this is still 2.37% lower than this stage last year, or 77,044 fewer people.