Spain's jobless rate declines slightly in April

Madrid - Spain's unemployment rate declined slightly in April, after soaring past 20 per cent in the first quarter, the Labor Ministry said Tuesday.

The number of officially registered unemployed people went down by 0.58 per cent to about 4.1 million people, thanks to job creation, mainly in the construction, services and industry sectors.

However, the statistics body INE did not release the precise level of the unemployment rate.

The statistics body INE announced last week that the jobless rate had soared to 20.05 per cent in the first quarter, twice the European Union average. It was the first time in 13 years that Spain's unemployment had exceeded 20 per cent.

The effects of the global crisis have been worsened by the collapse of Spain's important construction sector, plunging the country into its deepest recession in 60 years.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/321876,spains-jobless-rate-declines-slightly-in-april.html.