Over 85,000 unemployed in the Balearics

Almost 80% of the unemployed work in services

The highest November unemployment figure for seven years. | Miquel À. Cañellas

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma02/12/2020 11:37

The number of people unemployed in the Balearics in November was 85,330. This represented a 4.43% rise compared with October (3,617 more unemployed) and a 37.31% year-on-year increase - 23,187 more unemployed than November 2019.

The November figure is the highest since 2013 and it indicates that unemployment continues to grow more rapidly in the Balearics than elsewhere in the country. Seven years ago, there were 91,498 unemployed, but in considering this November's figure, account has to be taken of the thousands of workers who are still under ERTE terms (31,652; a fall of 11.2% compared with October).

Unemployment rose in all sectors. In services there were 2,921 more unemployed, giving a total of 66,117 - 77.5% of all people unemployed. In construction there was a rise of 173 to 9,344; there were 147 more unemployed in industry (a total of 9,344); the rise in agriculture was 51 to 1,158. There were also 5,342 with no previous employment, more than half of them below the age of 25.

In terms of new employment contracts, there were 2,936 for permanent posts and 15,040 for temporary work. In both instances, there was a 43% decrease compared with November 2019. By comparison with October, there was a fall of 9.6% for all contracts.