Unemployment rises in Catalonia and stands at 8.3%

BarcelonaUnemployment rises in Catalonia during the third quarter of the year. According to the Labour Force Survey (EPA) published this Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the Catalan unemployment rate stands at 8.3%, after it was 7.9% during the second quarter of the year. Furthermore, the total number of workers has once again neared the 4 million mark. Specifically, between July and September, the number of employed Catalans rose to 3,999,900, just 2,100 more people than in the previous quarter, while 18,900 unemployed persons were added, reaching 361,800.

Across the State as a whole, the unemployment rate is back above the psychological barrier of 10%: specifically, after the figure fell to 9.87% in the second quarter, between July and September the rate stands at 10.18%, which is the best third quarter on a Spanish scale since 2007. Furthermore, the number of employed people also breaks a new record. During the second quarter of the year, employment grew by 70,000 people and for the first time surpassed the threshold of 22.7 million in the seasonally adjusted calculation—which eliminates seasonal effects to see the real trend of the labor market.

However, according to EPA data, Spanish unemployment rose by 95,900 people, to 2.59 million, which is the largest increase in the summer since the pandemic broke out. The increase in employment is compatible with an rise in unemployment thanks to the strong boost in the active population, which grew by 169,500 people to a national record of 25.44 million. "More people are working than ever in Spain," highlighted Spain's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, who also pointed out that with this "it has now been 25 consecutive quarters of employment growth".