Government launches youth job drive to fight crisis

Madrid/Palma.—The government has announced urgent efforts to help a million young people left jobless by the recession get back to work.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy unveiled a 3.5 billion-euro plan to boost hiring of young people and help them start businesses.
The double recession sparked by the collapse of Spain's building boom in 2008 has driven the unemployment rate above 55 percent among the under-25s and 26 percent overall. “We intend this to mark a turning point in our joint battle against the crisis and youth unemployment,” Rajoy said, presenting his plan in a speech to business and union leaders.