144,700 lost their jobs in the third quarter.

There has been a massive increase in unemployment in Spain in the third quarter, according to the EPA survey of the active population. It shows that 144,700 people lost their jobs over the three months, which works out at 1,607 a day.

It takes the number of unemployed to 4,978,300, up six tenths of a point to 21.52%, a new record in the total number of unemployed. The percentage of 21.5% has not been seen since the last quarter of 1996.

The number of homes where all the members are on the dole is up 57,000 to 1.4 million, and unemployment rates are higher among women than men. The number of long term unemployed has reached 2.1 million.

The data comes as the Government today approves in Cabinet its latest employment strategy to promote contracts for the young. Economic help will be given to those companies which take on women.

10.9% of young Spaniards aged between 15 and 19 don’t work or study.

Source:www.typicallyspanish.com