MADRID, OCT 25 – The unemployment rate in Spain showed a slight decrease in the third quarter of this year, supported by the rapid development of the services sector, according to official data released today. That is positive news for the ruling minority leftist government.
The unemployment rate from July to September was 11.21 percent, down from 11.27 percent in the second quarter, according to data published by Spanish National Institute of Statistics.
The services sector accounted for the majority of the 138,300 jobs created during the period, which coincided with the crucial summer holiday season for the country that is the world’s second most visited tourist destination.
The Socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has consistently highlighted positive economic data as the main achievement of his fragile coalition government, as well as to respond to opposition criticism.
The European Union’s fourth-largest economy suffered an unemployment rate above 16 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it slowly recovers from the damage of the 2008 global financial crisis.
Sanchez praised the ‘tremendous data’ through the X platform, noting that it shows the strength of the labor market and brings the goal of full employment closer. – AFP
