The effect of the end of the pandemic and the start of the tourist campaign has generated a sharp drop in unemployment in the services sector in Asturias and has placed the total number of unemployed at the lowest figure for a month of May since 2008, when in Asturias still the housing bubble had not burst and the labor market was inflated by the brick.
Unemployment. Asturias ended the month of May with 62,424 unemployed people, 1,562 less than in April (-2.44%) and 17,517 less than a year ago (-21.91%). In both cases, the cut rate is one point below the average for Spain, where the number of unemployed fell below three million for the first time since 2008. In May unemployment fell in all economic sectors in Asturias: services they reduced unemployment by 1,067 people, to 45,666 unemployed; construction, in 173, up to 4,810; industry, in 145, up to 4,623, and agriculture, in 27, up to 1,265. In addition, unemployment among the group without a previous job fell by 150 people, to 6,060, and unemployment among those under 25, with 3,661 unemployed, was at a minimum in the historical series, although it must be taken into account that Asturias has less and less young people and the job search is delayed more and more time. The drop in unemployment benefited women a little more, as it fell by 824 unemployed –although unemployment has a much higher incidence in this group– compared to 738 unemployed. The number of job seekers fell in almost all councils. In Oviedo the decrease was 281 unemployed, in Gijón 476, in Avilés 104, in Siero 107, in Langreo 53 and in Mieres 69.
The hiring. After the entry into force of the labor reform at the end of December, hiring continued to record highs in the indefinite modality. In May, 24,657 contracts were signed in Asturias, 2.89% more than in April, of which 15,955 were temporary and 8,702 permanent. Permanent contracts represented 35.3% of total contracts, the highest proportion in the historical series and four times more than the rate registered in the same month of 2021, when permanent contracts accounted for 8.1% of the total. However, within the category of indefinite contracts, permanent intermittents fall, the number of which has also increased with the labor reform. The PP affirmed yesterday that the unemployment data “are made up by the discontinuous fixed numbers.”
The affiliation. The average number of Social Security affiliates in Asturias stood at 373,249 people in May, 2,119 more than the previous month (with a growth of 0.57%) and 10,587 more than in the same month a year ago (with a rise of 2.92%).
The valuations. The manager of the Public Service of the Principality of Asturias (Sepepa), Pilar Varela, highlighted the decrease in unemployment among the youngest and highlighted that the improvement in data occurs in all sectors and in all age groups. However, the Asturian Federation of Entrepreneurs (FADE) warned that this improvement “does not translate into an improvement in business activity” and therefore insisted on the need to “encourage economic activity” to “overcome the enormous risks associated with high inflation and energy costs”, in the words of the director of the Employer’s Corporate Support Area, Ignacio García. The unions highlighted the impact of the labor reform, although the focus was once again on the situation of groups such as women or the long-term unemployed. UGT of Asturias stressed that, with this improvement in data, “it is time to continue creating jobs” but also “it is essential that the wages of working people be raised”, while CC OO pointed out that Asturias has not recovered figures from before the 2008 financial crisis and called for higher unemployment coverage rates.