The Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Families affirms that "we are starting to recover and the dynamics of the last few months have been broken and, most importantly, we have dropped below half a million unemployed".

The Labour Force Survey indicates that in the first quarter of the year unemployment has fallen by 38.200 people, leaving the number of unemployed in Catalonia at 499.700, 88.100 more than a year ago.

Employment rose by 33.300 people to 3.373.900, 77.300 less than a year ago.

Chakir lo Homrani:

Catalonia has registered a decrease in unemployment of 38.200 people, according to the Labor Force Survey (EPA) for the first quarter of 2021. This increase leaves the unemployment rate at 12,9% (men, 11,5%; women, 14,3%).

There are currently 499.700 people unemployed, which implies an increase of 88.100 people in the last 12 months.

The employed population increased by 33.300 people, leaving 3.373.900 people employed, a decrease of 77.300 in the last 12 months. The employment rate stood at 67,6% (71% men and 64,2% women).

The Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Families, Chakir lo Homrani, gave a "positive" assessment of this quarter's data and stressed that "the dynamic of recent months has been broken, with 33.000 more employed persons and 38.200 fewer unemployed persons”.

"It is very important that we are getting below half a million people unemployed, even though it is clear that we have not recovered all that was lost during the months of the pandemic time," said the minister.

In this sense, El Homrani added that "the EPA data show a change in trend that must be consolidated and we must continue working to overcome this pandemic and the impact it has had on the productive fabric and the labor market”.

In view of this "positive" fact, the Minister pointed out that "we are beginning to recover and it is time to rethink and make the necessary structural changes in the labor market because there are deficits that go beyond the pandemic”.

El Homrani has called for "addressing once and for all the labor reform, recovering the administrative authorization of employment regulation files, and facing a labor market affected by an irrational and precarious high temporality”.

Likewise, the Minister has explained that this year's policy planning must to address worrying situations such as the inequality and discrimination suffered by women in the labor market, the increase in the number of long-term unemployed, households where all the people do not have jobs and unemployment among young people.

 

EPA's data for the first quarter of 2021

In the first quarter of 2021, the employed population in Catalonia increased by 33.300 people, meaning that there are currently 3.373.900 people working in Catalonia (1.771.700 men and 1.602.200 women).

Compared to the first quarter of last year, the employed population in Catalonia has fallen by 77.300 people. The employment rate stood at 67,6% (71% men and 64,2% women).

Catalonia has registered a decrease in unemployment of 38.200 people in the first quarter of 2021 according to the results of the Labor Force Survey. By sex, unemployment has fallen by 28.500 men and 9.700 women.