Spain: unemployment could reach 4 million this year

Spanish newspapers in Madrid announce that the number of unemployed people could reach four million, Spanish Labor and Migration ministry data show. Currently, there are 3.3 million unemployed in Spain and the number for January alone stood at 198,000.

El Pais reads about the number of hours people cue in their attempt find a job, which only proves that the economic crisis has got worse. The government forecasts are negative and admits that the unemployment rates will increase. In January the unemployment rate increased by 6.35% as compared to December, El Mundo reads.

In a year, the number of requests for unemployment benefits increased by 67.7% according to the ministry data. ABC daily reads that the people who benefit from the state’s help is 2.3 million and there is another million who does not receive it.

The government plans to initiate public works, worth 8 billion euro, to create more jobs but even so, only some 65,000 people will actually receive a job, opposition parties say. For now, there are no data referring to the number of unemployed Romanian citizens in Spain.

However, one thing is sure: in Spain, unemployment help amounts to 800 euro/month, way above the average salary one would get in Romania.