Downward Trend

Spain’s dole queues lengthened by nearly 45 thousand from September to October, according to figures produced by the Ministry of Employment and Social Security, but the overall trend is downward.

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The rise meant a one point two percent increase on a month-to-month basis, leading to a total of 3,764,982 people registered as unemployed in the country, but compared to October 2015, the figures are down by over nine percent.

State Secretary for Employment, Juan Pablo Riesgo, said that unemployment is at its lowest level in real terms for some seven years, but unions criticised the high number of temporary contracts and the lack of protection when it comes to unemployment benefits.

Unemployment in Alicante Province stands at over 170 thousand, a modest rise of 630 on September’s figures, whilst the Murcia region saw an actual fall of 272, with those out of work at just under 120 thousand.  Crucially, both Alicante and Murcia’s figures, like in the national statistics, show unemployment rates down by over nine percent, compared to a year ago.