Spanish jobless rate nears 26%
Spain’s unemployment rate edged up to 25.9% in the first three months of the year from 25.7% in the previous quarter, a sign that the recovery is still weak, the National Statistics Institute said today.
The number of people out of work fell by 2,300 in the January-March period, leaving the total number of unemployed at a rounded 5.9 million.
The overall percentage figure, however, increased because of a drop in the total number of people eligible to be employed.
Spain is battling to recover from two recessions, the last of which ended last year. The Bank of Spain estimates the economy expanded by 0.4% in the first quarter, the fastest growth in six years.
