Unemployment rises in Catalonia in July with over new 3,300 jobseekers

The unemployment rate rose in Catalonia in July after five consecutive months of the figure dropping. Authorities registered 3,310 new jobseekers, 0.98% more than the previous month. Aside from January 2022, figures have been dropping since March 2021.

In July there were 341,391 unemployed workers registered with the social security system, according to data released on Tuesday by the Spanish ministry of labor. However, there have been 66,923 fewer people looking for a job since last July, 16.39% less.

This is a historic figure as it is similar to the one registered in July 2008. 

In July, 282,489 new contracts were signed in Catalonia, of which 125,226 (44.3%) were indefinite. 

At the same time, the Catalan economy has generated 134,583 more jobs, 3.83%, similar to Spain’s average of 3.82%.

Across Spain, the number of unemployed workers in the country remains below three million. However, unemployment increased by 3,230 people compared with June, 0.1% more, with 2.89 million jobseekers. 

July is normally a good month regarding occupation figures. Since 2010, unemployment has registered a drop during the seventh month of the year, except in 2019 (+0.4%), and in 2021 authorities recorded a drop of 8.4% compared to 2020, when Covid-19 restrictions were still in place.

Two ways of calculating unemployment

The figures differ from those from the latest Labor Force Survey (EPA in Spanish), which is published every three months. The variation in the figures can be attributed to the different methods for gathering data.

The work ministry figures, published in this article, are based on the number of jobseekers registered with the Employment Service, while the EPA figures are taken from surveying a broad sample of 65,000 households, or some 200,000 individuals, all over Spain.

According to the latest EPA, showing figures for the first quarter of 2022, the jobless rate in March 2022 stood at 10.23%, two and a half points lower than a year before: 12.9%. 

There were 394,200 unemployed people at the end of March, which means 105,500 fewer than a year before.