Jobless flood dole offices

PALMA
WITH nearly 82'000 people registered as unemployed in the Balearics last month and over 112'000 looking for work, job centres around the Islands are full to overflowing .

Between 300 and 750 claims and applications a day are being dealt with by each of the offices of the State Employment Service (SPEE) and in some centres, such as the one in Calle Mateu Enric Llado in Palma, the demand is so great that scheduled appointments are being given to those wanting benefit which is now overdue by a month. One ex-worker complained that she had gone to the offices to process papers to enable her to claim benefit and she had been given an appointment for 2nd December. “This probably means,” the claimant said, “that I won't actually be able to get hold of the money due to me until 10th January,” adding “it's totally unjust.” SPEE director, Antoni Garci Moles, is curently in charge of 212 staff managing 12 offices across the Islands which operate in collaboration with the Balearic Job Finder Agency, SOIB. There are three in Palma and one in each of the municipalities of Manacor, Felanitx, Inca, Alcudia, Calvia, Ciutadella, Mahon, Saint Antoni and Ibiza. Separately, there is also a virtual office of the SPEE on the Son Castello industrial estate in Palma.