New month of employment records. The labor market exceeded a new roof in May, with a new historical maximum of 21.8 million people working affiliated with social security. In addition, the registered strike finally descended from an important barrier for the first time in 17 years, the 2.5 million unemployed people, a figure that was not frank since 2008. They are not the only milestones: in May the 3.4 million freelancers, the 10.3 million women affiliated with Social Security and the three million foreign workers were exceeded for the first time.
The data published on Tuesday by the Ministry of Social Security and that of Labor account for a favorable May for employment and unemployment fall, as usual in a month in which the temperatures are beginning to rise on the way to summer (this year in excess) and that encourages hiring, especially in the hospitality sector.
“For 10 days (May) we have reached 21.8 million. They are never seen data, they are data of people working that have a salary every month. In these days when the Government turns 7, it is convenient to review where we have come from. Since 2018 we have increased by three million people working. And that despite having faced an inflation crisis, a worldwide pandemic and two wars in our environment,” said the Minister of Social Security, ELMA. Saiz
The new employment record is specifically at 21,784,375 people affiliated with Social Security, after adding about 196,000 workers in May, a somewhat lower record than the one that usually occurs this month.
Employment grew especially in the hospitality, with 78,500 more workers (wage earners and freelance), followed by the 22,000 jobs created in administrative activities and auxiliary services.
In the last year, Social Security has added 462,500 workers, which maintains an elevated pace of job creation, in 2.2%, slightly lower than that registered in April (2.3%). If it is attended to the unequalized figures, which marginalize the fluctuations of seasonality and calendar, employment grew by 20,800 workers, a much smaller fact that registered the previous month, of 70,000 people.
The Secretary of State for Labor, Joaquín Pérez Rey, has celebrated the good behavior of the labor market and the “strong resistance” that he is demonstrating before different uncertainties (in the face of an inertia to the dismissal and the rapid destruction of temporary jobs of the past), such as the current one by the tariff war initiated by the United States, as well as the slowdown of economic growth worldwide. Similarly, the Secretary of State for Social Security, Borja Suárez, has considered that employment figures remain “exceptional” and “in the context we are more meritorious” if possible, he pointed out.
Finally low unemployment of 2.5 million people
On the part of the registered strike, the unemployed persons targeted to the public employment offices, a barrier is managed for the first time in 17 years: the 2.5 million people in unemployment. A fact that has not been reached since 2008, at the beginning of the financial crisis, and that had not yet been reduced almost two decades later.
“The unemployment data are historical and they are the compass that shows us that we are on the right track. But we do not settle. We will continue working to reduce unemployment. And we will continue to demonstrate that improving the living conditions of working people is the key for our country to continue to lead economic growth,” said the second vice president and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz.
Specifically, unemployment stood at 2,454,883 people, after descending at 57,800 unemployed in the month of May compared to April (-2.3%), a fact very similar to that of last year.
In the last year, unemployment has been reduced by almost 153,000 people, with a rate of fall of 5.9%, higher than last year by these dates. Unemployment is one of the most pressing challenges in our labor market since, although it has been greatly reduced from the five million peak (six million according to the EPA) reached in the great recession, it is still very high, reaching 12% of the active population.
The Ministry of Labor emphasizes that unemployment descends in all the great economic sectors in May. It decreased in services by 42,930 people (-2.36%), under construction in 5,562 people (-2.99%), in industry in 4,574 people (-2.35%) and in agriculture in 2,259 (-2.77%). Also the group without previous employment, which registered 2,510 people in unemployment less (-1.07%).
By ages, the department of Yolanda Díaz emphasizes that the unemployment of young people under 25 years decreased in May 6,426 people (-3.62%) compared to the previous month. “The total is 171.003, the lowest figure in the historical series in this group,” they point out in work.
More than three million foreign workers
Employment in Spain is growing and unemployment is being reduced at the same time that the labor market becomes wider, in which the population willing to work, the hand especially of the rise of foreign population, which this May reached its own record, of more than three million people working affiliated with social security.
At the moment, the Government is considering a regularization of migrants in an irregular situation, a popular demand that had reached Parliament in the form of popular legislative initiative (ILP) and that support from the majority unions.
In addition, the government highlights that the record figures are being achieved while one of Spain’s structural problems has been attacked in recent decades: the high and abusive temporal work. From the start of the labor reform, which began to reduce this scourge, “there are more than four million workers with an indefinite contract,” they stand out in Social Security.
The temporal employment rate, on the total number of employees, remains at the historical minimum of 11.9%. “At present, the 15.2 million employed with an indefinite contract is touched (15,199,364), of which more than 9.9 million work full time. The number of fixed-discontinuous ones, however, is stabilized and represents, only 6.3% of the total,” they indicate in the department of Elma Saiz.
Source: www.eldiario.es
