Rising unemployment on the Balearic Islands

THE number of people on the dole in the Balearic Islands rose by 2.8 per cent in the first quarter of the year, bringing unemployment levels to 28 per cent.

This places the region in the top four in Spain with the highest number of jobless. Andalucia, the Canary Islands and Extremadura are above with unemployment levels of 33.2, 32,3 and 32.1 per cent respectively.

Valencia comes fifth with 27.3 per cent of its population out of work.

In contrast, Pais Vasco is the region with the lowest number of people on the dole (13.6%).

Behind Extremadura which saw a 3.5 per cent rise in unemployment to 32.1 per cent of people out of work, the Balearics is the region that saw the highest increase this year.

The Balearics was followed closely by Castilla-La Mancha were the number of people on the dole rose by 2.7 per cent to reach a total of 27.2 per cent jobless.

In the Balearics the number of people who have been looking for work for more than a year increased to 10,500, which is 37 per cent more than the same period last year, according to data from work association AGETT.