Spanish unemployment continues to rise

The number of people claiming unemployment benefit in Spain, dogged by the highest levels of joblessness in the eurozone, rose for the fourth straight month in November 2011 ahead of the country’s newly elected centre-right government launching a promised programme of radical economic reform.

Spain’s labour ministry said the number of people claiming unemployment benefit rose by 53,536 in November from the month before, taking the total number to 4.4m, after the sharpest rise in more than two and a half years recorded in October 2011.

Further doubts were sown about whether Spain would meet its deficit-reduction target for 2011 as the outgoing Socialist government questioned the Social Security system's ability to deliver the surplus called for in the budget.

El País, 2.12.11: Unemployment rises as doubts over Social Security surplus put deficit-reduction target into question http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/Unemployment/rises/as/doubts/over/Social/Security/surplus/put/deficit-reduction/target/into/elpepueng/20111202elpeng_3/Ten

ESO: Background information: Spain’s jobless total nears 5m http://www.europeansources.info/record/spains-jobless-total-nears-5m/

Spain: Instituto Nacional de Estasidistica (INE) http://www.ine.es/welcoing.htm

Spain: Ministry of Labour and Immigration http://www.mtin.es/en/index.htm

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