Slight decrease in Canaries unemployment

Unemployment levels have dropped slightly in the Canary Islands after figures recently released shows that during August 2012, there were 1,119 less people unemployed in the islands. This is a drop of 0.39% compared to the previous month of July. The total number of unemployed in the Canaries now stands at 288,666 people according to the Ministry of Employment and Social Security. When comparing figures to those of last year, there has been an increase of 14.33% (36,188 people) in unemployment. The Canary Islands was one of five Spanish communities where unemployment fell in August 2012, a month that saw National unemployment increase by 0.83%.

By Canarian provinces, unemployment fell by 890 people last month in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (-0.65%) which equals a total of 135,227 unemployed people, while in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria unemployment decreased by 229 people (-0.15%) standing at 153,439 people without work. Compared with August 2011, Santa Cruz de Tenerife has currently 16,332 more unemployed people (+13.74%) and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has 19,856 more unemployed people (+14.86%).

Among the foreigners living in the islands, unemployment fell in 491 people in August compared to July (-1.97%) totalling 24,483 people.

By gender, 145,571 of the unemployed in the Canaries are men and 143,095 are women. Of all job seekers, 22,523 are under 25 years old (11,529 men and 10,994 women).

45,616 work contracts were signed last month in the Canary Islands, 6,529 less than the previous month of July and 3,657 fewer than in the same month last year (August 2011). Of all the contracts signed in August in the islands, 4,334 were indefinite (455 less than in July). However, the data indicate that permanent contracts rose by 6.80% compared to 2011, with 276 more contracts. At the same time, 41,282 temporary contracts were signed, 6,074 less than in July (-12.83%).