Spanish PM expresses optimism in employment pickup in May

: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, June 2, 2013

Adjust font size:

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Saturday that the employment would have a pick-up in the month of May and "clearly give grounds for optimism".

"I suggest people to pay attention to the unemployment figures. If the tendencies which we have observed are confirmed, they are going to give clear grounds for optimism," said Rajoy, predicting a pickup in employment.

Rajoy said that the labor reforms implemented by his government in February last year was the main reason for what he hopes will be an improvement.

"Ever since the labor reform has been implemented, there has been a better behavior in the labor market," he said, despite the fact that Spain has actually seen around a million jobs disappear in the months since the unpopular reform was put into effect.

The ministry of employment said that the number of the unemployed stands at around 6.2 million, with a fall of around 46,000 in the number of people on the dole in April due to the onset of the tourism season.

May is traditionally a good month for employment in Spain as hotels, bars, restaurants and other tourism sectors open for business.

Despite Rajoy's optimism the main issue is whether or not this trend will continue once the tourism season comes to an end.

The OECD doesn't share Rajoy's optimism, predicting that Spain's economy would contract by 1.7 percent in 2013 and that unemployment would continue to rise from the current level of around 27 percent, to as high as 28 percent.