The Pine Islands closed the year with a total of 11,978 people on the dole, a new record. However, despite the alarmingly high number of people out of work, the data was slightly better than most had expected several months ago, as unemployment rose by just 1.9 per cent from the end of November; “a step in the right direction”, according to the Councillor for Industry, Joan Serra Mayans. Of these, 11,384 were registered in Ibiza, and 594 in Formentera.
However, despite the slow-down in unemployment, data released by the Balearic Ministry for Employment showed just how severe this last year’s slide has been. In Ibiza a total of 1,589 more people are without work compared to the figure twelve months ago, an increase of 16.2 per cent. Meanwhile there are 104 more registered people on the dole in Formentera, an incease of 21.2 per cent.
Additional data supplied by the Ministry showed an average of 44,911 people on the island had been in employment throughout the year, whilst the unemployment figure over the course of 2009 had averaged 8,881, an even 1,500 more than the previous year.
Serra Mayans said he was confident the situation had reached rock bottom, and added that he expected an improvement from January when part two of the PlanE projects would start, and also the construction sector would begin to pick up.
However, his confidence was not shared by the head of the General Workers Union (UGT) on the island, Diego Ruiz, who claimed he could see no improvement until the start of the next tourist season, and then the degree would be very much influenced by external factors.
Meanwhile, on a regional level a total of 91,098 people were out of work at the end of the year. Whilst the Balearic Minister for Employment, Joana Barcelo, claimed it was positive the number had not smashed through the psychological 100,000 barrier, that feat may not be too far away as the jobless number is expected to increase over the next few months.
Things were no better on a national scale at year-end, with a total of 3,923,603 people out of work, 800,000 (an increase 25.4 per cent) more than 31st December 2008.
