Unemployment falls below 400,000 for the first time since the pandemic in Catalonia

BarcelonaThe reactivation of the tourism sector, despite the covid restrictions, has resulted in a reduction in the number of unemployed in August in Catalonia, which is in the fifth consecutive month of decline. The Principat has closed the month with 17,186 fewer unemployed, which represents a decrease of 4.21% compared to July and up to 18.62% compared to a year ago, when the restrictive measures due to the pandemic were more demanding.

These data have a positive and a negative reading. The good part is that for the first time unemployment falls below 400,000 since the coronavirus arrived (March 2020 closed with just over 417,000 unemployed); the bad part is that there are 20,000 more unemployed than in August 2019, before covid broke out.

According to data from the Ministry of Labour, made public on Thursday, Catalonia is the third community that recorded the largest absolute drop in unemployment last month, falling for the first time since the outbreak of the 400,000 unemployment pandemic, specifically the figure stands at 391,128 people. The ranking is headed by other tourist communities: Andalusia (-32,102 people) and the Canary Islands (-19,844 people).

In fact, in Spain as a whole, unemployment has recorded the largest drop in a month of August since this is counted, with 82,583 people, although it has increased slightly to four communities, among which are Madrid and the Basque Country. It is a decrease of 2.42% compared to July and up to 12.33% compared to a year ago.

Fall in young unemployed

By age, among those under 25 - the ones that are affected the most -, unemployment has fallen by 17,120 people, 6.52% less than in July. It has also decreased in all sectors except construction. Due to the tourist season, the most important drop has occurred in the service sector (with 1.93% compared to July), followed by agriculture.