Spain unemployment rises; minimum wage hike pledged

Spain’s unemployment register grows in September: Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz says an extraordinary government regularisation is largely behind the rise and promises another increase in the statutory minimum wage. Speaking in Madrid on 2 October, she said hundreds of thousands of people already living and working in Spain were now registering with social security and as unemployed.

Despite September’s rise, 42,160 fewer people are registered unemployed than a year ago. Unemployment among women is at its lowest for a September since 2008. The number of women registered with social security rose by 90,860 in September, taking the total above 10.5 million.

Of the contracts signed in September, 44.3% were permanent. Unemployment benefit coverage stood at 87.1%, up 4.6 percentage points from a year earlier. Díaz also said the government would pursue a law on preventing workplace risks and rules for recording working hours. She gave no timetable for those plans or the minimum wage rise.

Topics: Jobs & labour · Politics · Economy

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com