Unemployment rose by nearly 5´000 in October in the Balearics

UNEMPLOYMENT rose in 12 autonomous regions in October, led by Andalucia and the Balearics, where it rose by 12'348 and 4'979 people respectively.
Altogether, unemployment registered by the INEM offices (Unemployment Benefit Office) rose by 26'670 people in October, making a total of 1'992'836 by the end of the month, some 1.3 percent more than during the previous month, although a record number of job contracts were signed and many jobs were created. According to figures published yesterday by the Spanish Ministry for Work, the rise in October was the third rise of the year, after the increases in August and January, although it is less than the rise in unemployment in 2005, when it grew by 1.97 percent and 39'575 people (almost 13'000 people more). The means that, in the last 12 months, unemployment has fallen by 60'025 people, some 2.9 percent. This decrease, in interannual terms, is the 7th consecutive one. In October there was a record number of contracts, with 1'819'192 being signed (11.1 percent more than in October 2005), of which 239'673 were open ended, another historic maximum which was 13.1 percent of the total contracts signed in October and a rise of 61.7 percent in comparison with the same month last year. By sectors, unemployment only fell in the construction and industrial sectors with 2'240 less unemployed people (1 percent), and 723 less (0.2 percent) respectively.