Spain's unemployment decreases by 107,570 people in December

The number of people registered as unemployed in Spain fell by 107,570 in December, leaving a total of 4,701,338 people unemployed in 2013, showed offcial data published on Friday. According to the Ministry of Employment and Social Security who issued the figures, this is the second biggest fall of unemployment since the data series began and the biggest drop ever for December. The year 2013 saw the first fall in unemployment over the last seven years, while over the last 12 months the number of unemployed people fell by 147,385 people, meaning a 3 percent decrease compared with the same month in 2012. Unemployment had increased by 426,364 people in 2012, by 322,286 people in 2011 and by 176,470 people in 2010. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, at the beginning of the economic crisis, unemployment increased by 106,674, 999,416 and 794,640 people respectively. The Ministry reported that unemployment fell in all sectors except from that of the agriculture where unemployment increased by 12,188 people in annual terms. The number of people unemployed fell by 103,135 people in the construction sector, by 34,101 and by 21,729 in the industry and services sector respectively. Women were more affected by unemployment than men, with unemployed men falling by 113,195 people and unemployed women decreasing by 34,190 in annual terms. This data left a total of 2,406,626 women unemployed and 2,294,712 men looking for a job in 2013. Meanwhile, the number of people affiliated to the Social Security System increased by 64,097 people in December on a monthly basis while decreasing by 85,000 people in annual terms. The Ministry reported a total of 16,357,640 people affiliated to the Social Security System. Engracia Hidalgo, Secretary of State for Employment, said that unemployment had increased in annual terms by 544,000 people as an average over the last five years, pointing out that a better figure could only be found in 1999 when Spain's economy was growing by 4 percent. The Spanish economy grew by 0.1 percent in the third quarter of 2013 and the government expects this growth to consolidate in 2014. Minister of Economy Luis de Guindos said job creation this year would be significant thanks to the economic recovery.