MADRID: The number of registered unemployed fell in Spain for the fifth straight month in June, although the drop was less than forecast.
Jobless claims declined last month by 94,727 or 2.25 percent to 4.12 million, the labour ministry said in a statement. Although the figures were hailed as positive by the conservative government of Mariano Rajoy, analysts warned that the drop in unemployment was not as strong as expected and that most of the newly employed were on short-term contracts.
Spain continues to battle one of the highest jobless rates in Europe, with unemployment serving to blight Spain’s road to recovery. The number of people without work fell across all sectors except for agriculture and in every region although the majority of new jobs were on short-term contracts. But the Spanish jobless claims fell less than forecast in June, which is traditionally a strong month for summer hiring, as retailers, restaurants and other service providers bolster their staff for the busy summer tourist season.
The number of registered unemployed was down by 329,397 or 7.4 percent over June 2014. The labour ministry’s monthly figure is a different measure from the quarterly unemployment rate, which is based on surveys and stood at 23.78 percent in the first quarter, according to the National Statistic Institute.
