The figures released on Thursday by the Ministry of Labour confirm a trend that has been taking shape for months. Registered unemployment fell in June by 28,739 people compared with May, bringing the total number down to 2,291,982 unemployed people. Such a low figure had not been seen since January 2008, in other words, before the financial crisis hit.
The drop is not evenly spread across sectors. Services account for almost all of the adjustment, with 28,498 fewer unemployed, driven by the start of the tourist season.
Industry follows, with 2,829 fewer jobless, construction with 1,326, and agriculture, which records a decrease of 384. There is, however, one figure that breaks the trend: the number of people with no previous employment history has risen by 4,298, a sign that those looking for their first job, or trying to return to the labour market after time away, are finding it harder to get a foothold.
By age group, youth unemployment continues to fall: 5,155 fewer young people than in May and 6,907 fewer than a year ago, taking the total to 159,800, the lowest figure in the entire historical series for this group. The year-on-year decline is more pronounced among young women, with 4,090 fewer unemployed, than among men, with 2,817.
