Laurence Dollimore
UNEMPLOYMENT in Spain was reduced by almost half a million in 2016, new figures have shown – but a majority of the jobs are ‘precarious’.
Some 86,849 people found work across the country in December. Combined with the rest of year, it means the jobless rate has fallen by 390,534.
It represents a 9.54% drop from 2015 and the fourth consecutive year of rising employment.
But Spain’s most influential union, the UGT, complained that many of those moving out of the jobless queue had only been able to find employment with ‘precarious working conditions’.
“In December, just four out of every 100 contracts signed were long-term and full-time,” it said in a statement, “Economic and social inequalities continue to increase.”
Mariano Rajoy’s conservative government has come under fire for the unstable and temporary nature of the new jobs, despite the jobless rate falling consistently from the 26% seen during the crisis in 2013.
Aaah the magic and political power of good old statistics vs. reality… Its like with pharmaceutical industry when they brag about the number of cancer survivors from a drug. You only need to survive 5 years after treatment and you are forever immortalized in statistics as a cancer survivor, regardless if you die the next day or suffer during the 5 years. Back to subject, politicians dont care about peoples well being, they care about getting re-elected. I wouldnt be surprised if they one day make it illegal to be unemployed just like some countries has made it illegal to be homeless.
The same trick has been pulled in the UK. The AMOUNT of work remains the same, but using lousy, fake self-employment and zero hours contracts, the work available is thus spread thinner, making it appear as if unemployment is falling.
Legerdemain politics.