Spain’s jobless rate rose further in September as services sector layoffs accelerated at the end of a busy summer tourist season, suggesting one in four of the country’s workforce is now unemployed.
Labour Ministry data released yesterday showed the jobless rate rose by 1.7 per cent to leave 4.7 million people out of work.
The figure had also risen in August after it fell during the summer season.
“There is a certain slowing down in the rate of increase in unemployment but the negative side is that jobs are still disappearing,” said Estefania Ponte, head of economy at trading house Cortal Consors.
She said yesterday’s monthly figures suggested the rate of Spain’s jobless – already the highest in the European Union – would likely have hit 25 per cent in the third quarter.
The data showed that the bulk of job losses were in the services sector, which covers hotels and restaurants most affected by the tourism trade.