The end of the Christmas campaign has been noticeable in Catalonia, where unemployment grew in January and membership fell, just like in the rest of the country. No community generated employment at the start of the year and unemployment only fell in the Balearic Islands.
In Catalonia, Social Security lost 34,912 contributors in the first month, which has left the total number of employed people at 3,674,897, according to data from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration published this Friday. Only Andalusia surpassed the loss in Catalonia, with 43,624 affiliates, but if the percentage evolution is taken into account, with a drop of 0.94% over the previous month, it is one of those that suffered the least drop.
As for unemployment, it rose by 3,690 people in January, so the total number of unemployed stood at 347,071. Unemployment rose in the services sector, with 3,672 more people compared to December, and in the sector of the unemployed without previous employment, with 525 people. In construction it fell by 230, in industry, by 180, and in agriculture by 97, according to detailed data from the Ministry of Labor.
All autonomies saw unemployment rise. Catalonia was the fourth autonomous community where unemployment rose the most, after Andalusia (20,077), Madrid (9,646) and the Valencian Community (4,363). Where unemployment increased the most was in Barcelona, with 2,854 more unemployed (up to 257,150), compared to 365 in Girona, 330 in Tarragona (with 41,291 total unemployed) and 141 in Lleida (with 17,353 total unemployed). In percentage terms, where the most progress is made is in Girona, which has 31,277 unemployed in total.
By sex, women represented 57.12% of the unemployed in Catalonia, with a total of 198,268 unemployed, while men represented 42.87%, with 148,803 unemployed.
Permanent contracts represented 42.51% of the total registered and temporary contracts, 57.48%.
