Oviedo (EFE).- Asturias reduced unemployment by 1.41 percent in February, which represents the second largest cut among the autonomous communities in a month in which employment also rose slightly, according to data published this Thursday by the ministries of Labor and Social Economy and of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations.
Specifically, registered unemployment at employment offices fell in Asturias in February by 903 people, leaving the number of unemployed at 63,329, the lowest figure for a month of February since 2008.
In addition, the community gained 550 Social Security affiliates, 0.15 percent, up to 368,664 workers, in turn the highest number for a month of February since 2011.
Compared to February last year, unemployment has fallen in the Principality by 2,863 people, 4.33 percent, two points less than the national average, while affiliation has increased by 1,036 workers, 0.28 percent, the most moderate improvement in the country.
Unemployment falls in all sectors
Unemployment fell in February across the board in all sectors, although it did so more sharply in industry, 3.35 percent, with 157 fewer unemployed, up to 4,525, and in construction, 2.79 percent. , with 133 fewer unemployed, up to 4,640.
In the service sector, with the highest volume of unemployment, unemployment fell by 775 people, 1.63 percent, to 46,767, while in agriculture it did so by 9, to 1,155.
However, in the group without previous employment, closely linked to young people, there was a rise of 171 unemployed, up to 5,280.
The drop in unemployment benefited men more, with a reduction of 740 unemployed, to 26,417, while among women it fell by 163, to 36,909.
Permanent hiring continues to rise
The improvement in the labor market occurred despite the fact that the number of contracts signed in February fell by 9.6 percent compared to January and 26.6 percent in relation to the same month last year, to 15,522, of which 36.4 percent were permanent, three points more than in January.
Permanent hiring fell by 1.4 percent compared to January, but grew by more than 43 percent in relation to February of last year, while temporary contracts contracted 13.7 percent per month and 42.5 percent. at year-on-year rate.
In the first two months of the year, 32,691 contracts have been signed in Asturias, of which 34.8 percent have been permanent, a rate that before the entry into force of the labor reform, at the end of 2021, barely reached 10 percent.
Unions denounce the precariousness of women
The unions have admitted that the data for February are positive due to the drop in unemployment, the increase in membership and the greater indefinite hiring.
However, they have focused on the groups with the greatest difficulties, such as women, young people and the long-term unemployed.
The UGT Trade Union Policy Secretary, Mar Celemín, has warned of the “lack of opportunities” that young people have to find work while stressing the need to “blur the female face” of unemployment, by concentrating the women close to 60 percent of unemployment.
The head of Employment of the CCOO of Asturias, Severino Menéndez, has stressed that “unemployment continues to hit hard in Asturias, especially women”, who suffer “precariousness, partiality and discriminatory wages”.
From the Government, the president, Adrián Barbón, has affirmed that the data represents “good news”, but has asked not to “cry victory” because we must continue working on the transformation of the economy, while the managing director of the Public Service of Employment of the Principality of Asturias (Sepepa), Pilar Varela, has recognized the need to continue working on active employment policies, focusing on the groups that need it most.
Employment grows in Spain by 0.44%
In the country as a whole, Social Security added 88,918 affiliates on average in February, 0.44 percent and registered the greatest increase in employment for this month since 2015, while the number of unemployed registered with the State Public Employment Service (SEPE) rose by 2,618, 0.09 percent.
With this growth in employment, which improves on the 67,111 of February last year, the number of average affiliates stands at 20,170,142, the highest figure for this month in the series.
Regarding the unemployment data, the Ministry of Labor indicates that the rise in February, which leaves the total number of unemployed at 2,911,015, is below the average for this month and reflects a “stability trend” in the market labor. EFE
