- Unemployment falls by almost half a million people and the unemployment rate drops to 23.8% compared to a year ago
- Most of the new jobs are permanent and the temporary rate drops to 23.6%
- The number of households with all their members unemployed decreases by 185,400
- 114,300 jobs have been destroyed in the first quarter, the lowest volume since 2008, and unemployment falls to 13,100
Employment increased by 504,200 people in the last year, according to estimates from the Labor Force Survey (EPA) prepared by the INE. The annual growth of employment is 3%, half a point more than the previous quarter. The Spanish economy thus enters the second year of recovery with increasingly robust employment and activity data. This is mostly indefinite employment (it increased by 289,700 in the last year), the temporary rate is reduced six tenths, to 23.6%, and most are full-time jobs (413,600). Unemployment falls by 488,700 people and stands at a total of 5.44 million. The unemployment rate falls 2.15 points, to 23.8% of the active population.
Regarding quarter-on-quarter data, it must be borne in mind that the first quarter of the year is usually negatively affected by seasonality. In relation to the last quarter of 2014, 114,300 jobs were destroyed in the first quarter of 2015, which represents the smallest decrease in a first quarter since 2008. The quarter-on-quarter decrease in employment was -0.65%, a rate that it stands at 0.43% with seasonally adjusted series, compared to 0.81% in the previous quarter. Unemployment fell by 13,100 people in the quarter, -0.24%, although in seasonally adjusted terms it decreased 2.5% compared to the previous quarter.
From a sectoral perspective, the number of employed persons has increased in construction and industry, with increases of 30,300 and 2,300, respectively. In contrast, services recorded a reduction of 135,400 jobs and agriculture of 11,500. Compared to a year earlier, the level of employment increased in the non-agricultural branches, with 334,900 more employed in services, 142,500 in industry and 118,500 in construction, while agriculture lost 91,700 personnel.
Considering the professional situation, the quarterly decrease in employment has corresponded to both employees and self-employed workers. The first group decreased by 89,200 and the second decreased by 23,000. On the other hand, the decrease in employment has been concentrated in the private sector, with 143,500 fewer employed, while public employment has increased by 29,200 people. Compared to a year earlier, the private sector increased its staff by 468,000 and the public by 36,200, with interannual rates of 3.3% and 1.2%, respectively.
Employees with permanent contracts have increased by 25,300 in the quarter, while those with temporary contracts have decreased by 114,500. After this result, the temporary rate fell 0.65 points compared to that of the fourth quarter of 2014, to 23.6%. Compared to a year earlier, workers with permanent contracts increased by 289,700 people and those with temporary contracts, by 174,800.
Regarding the working day, the number of full-time employed persons has decreased by 130,600 in the first quarter of 2015, while the number of part-time workers increased by 16,300. Compared to the same period in 2014, full-time ones increased by 413,600 people and part-time ones by 90,600.
The Unemployment has decreased in the first quarter of the year by 13,100 people, which represents the largest decrease in unemployment in the first quarter since 2005. The total unemployed stands at 5,444,600 and the unemployment rate at 23.78% of the active population, one tenth higher than that of the previous quarter and 2.15 points lower than that of a year earlier. With seasonally adjusted series, the quarter-on-quarter variation in the number of unemployed stood at -2.5%, compared to -1.4% in the previous quarter, chaining eight quarters of consecutive falls. Compared to a year earlier, unemployment has decreased by 488,700 people, 8.2%. The quarterly decline in unemployment has affected men, with 21,400 fewer unemployed, while among women the number of unemployed rose by 8,300. The unemployment rate for men drops six hundredths and stands at 22.7%, while that of women rises 24 hundredths to 25%.
By branches of activity, unemployment decreased in construction and industry, with 7,200 and 4,200 fewer unemployed, respectively, while it increased in services (35,300) and in agriculture (9,700). The unemployed seeking their first job decreased by 21,300 and the unemployed who lost their job more than a year ago decreased by 25,500.
The number of households with all their active members unemployed increased in the first quarter of 2015 by 27,300, totaling 1,793,600, and the number of households with all their active active members decreased by 18,700, to 9,091,400. Compared to a year ago, the number of households with all their members unemployed has decreased by 185,400, while those with all their assets occupied has increased by 431,800.
The active population decreases by 127,400 people in the first quarter. Compared to a year earlier, it increased by 15,500 people. The activity rate fell 0.32 points in the quarter, to 59.5%.
