• Minister Torrent has presented to the Government the data on the evolution of unemployment, where Catalonia closes 2021 with 369,158 people unemployed, the largest year-on-year decline in unemployment in history.
• The Government has approved an agreement to defend the Catalan language in educational centers and the Catalan school model, which "will protect with all means the teaching staff from any illegitimate attack that they may suffer"
• The Government has validated to extend for 14 more days the measures to contain the Covid-19 and in view of the Three Kings parade has asked to wear the mask to all participants and to avoid crowds.

Catalonia has registered a decrease in unemployment of 128,453 people last year (-25.8%), the largest year-on-year decrease in history, which leaves the number of unemployed people at 369,158. As regards social security data, the year ended with 3,519,131 registrations, the best December in the whole historical series. These are the data on the evolution of unemployment in Catalonia during 2021 that the Minister of Enterprise and Labor, Roger Torrent i Ramió, has presented at the Government meeting and that he has detailed in the press conference after the Executive Council , together with the spokesperson of the Government, Patrícia Plaja.

The Minister Torrent has described 2021 as "very positive" in terms of employment. "There has been a decline in year-on-year unemployment that puts us in the best December since 2007", he said. Torrent has pointed out that the good data on the reduction of registered unemployment has been accompanied by job creation with "a year-on-year increase of 4%, which is the largest increase in Social Security affiliation since 2005". With these figures for 2021, the minister said he was "convinced that 2022 will be the year of the consolidation of the recovery of the Catalan economy and the support of vulnerable groups".

“The Government is working with a clear objective: to make 2022 the year of consolidation, with more and better quality employment and less unemployment". Torrent recalled that "The Government uses resources and focuses its efforts on defending the most vulnerable people, those who are still unemployed, and we accompany them on the road to finding work with recruitment, training and guidance programs. The Government will not leave them behind".

In this sense, the minister highlighted the implementation of the Emergency Plan for active employment policies, which, with a budget of 917 million euros, is aimed mainly at young people, women and people over 45 years of age. In addition, he announced that on January 10 the Department of Enterprise and Labor, through the Employment Service of Catalonia, will open the call for two programs to promote employment for people over 30 years of age, endowed with about 100 million euros, with which it expects to promote the hiring of more than 5,000 people.

Protection of Catalan in schools

The Government has approved an agreement to defend the Catalan language in schools, its own model and to protect the teaching staff at all levels and for all the institutional, political and legal channels that the Government has at its disposal, in the Executive Council of this Tuesday. "The Government considers it a priority and necessary to strengthen its will and its commitment to defend the Catalan school and by extension the entire educational community", explained spokesperson Plaja.

The spokesperson has stressed that "the Government will protect with all means the people who govern the schools,  teachers, and other people who work against any illegitimate attack they may suffer". In this sense, Plaja has remarked that "it is necessary to know that the Administration of the Government will put the services of advice, representation and legal defense at their service as it is already being done".

Plaja recalled that "the Catalan school is a successful model created on the basis of political and social consensus and that it cannot be at stake because of threats or coercion that teachers and professors may suffer at some point". In view of this, the spokesperson explained that "what is a government priority has been materialized in an institutional format", as well as "a formal demonstration has been given of what the government's position will be with respect to all those who want to interfere in the Catalan public school model".

The spokesperson insisted that "there has been a consensus among the main parliamentary groups for years, but above all there is a resounding consensus in the street". She also stated that "the model of education in the Catalan language has played an important role and has become a key tool for guaranteeing the social cohesion of the students over the years and this must continue to be the case in the future".

Extension of the measures to contain covid-19

The Government has validated the extension for another 14 days of the measures to contain Covid-19 in Catalonia, as approved this Monday by the Government's Delegate Commission on Covid-19. These are the measures that came into force on December 24 and will be in force until January 21. The spokesperson has informed that this morning the resolution has entered the High Court of Justice of Catalonia to endorse those measures that affect fundamental rights.

Cavalcade of the Three Wise Men

As for the Three Wise Men parade this Wednesday, it will be up to each municipality to set the exact times and characteristics of each parade. It is necessary that all participants in the parade wear the mask and avoid crowds. The Government recommends to the organizers to avoid routes through narrow streets and prioritize the wide ones. In this sense, when Their Majesties are at a fixed point, it is recommended to establish access control systems; and whenever possible, access and exit should be at different points and priority should be given to one-way circuits.

First step of the draft bill of the law of the sea

The Executive Council has also approved the preliminary report of the draft bill of the law of the sea, a "pioneering law in our house that seeks to update, fix and adapt all the regulatory content related to the maritime policy of the Government", said Plaja. The text contemplates adapting international and European regulations to the development of an integrated maritime policy and a sustainable blue economy.

In accordance with the objectives of the Maritime Strategy of Catalonia 2030, the new regulation will establish a favorable structural framework for the promotion of knowledge, innovation and technology transfer that will enable the progressive decarbonization of the maritime sectors, the promotion of the bio economy and the circular economy in the maritime field, the reduction of marine pollution and sustainability in the activities carried out at sea. The text will also promote research and innovation in the marine environment and the coast.