The labour market data for the second quarter of 2004 in the A.C. of the Basque Country puts the number of employed at 901,700 people, 0.5% above the previous quarter, according to the Survey on the Population in Relation to Activity (PRA) published by Eustat. On the other hand, the unemployment rate fell from 8.6% from the previous quarter to 8%.

In relation to the first quarter of 2004, the total number of jobless fell by 6,300 and the unemployment rate by 0.6 per cent. As a result of the evolution of the employed and unemployed population, the employment rate stood at 54.9%.

The male unemployment rate fell to 6.5%, a decrease of half a point, and the female rate, although much higher (10.1%), fell by point eight per cent. The youth unemployment rate decreased by just over one per cent, affecting almost one in five active youths aged 16 to 24 (19.7 %).

The unemployment rate in the A.C. of the Basque Country stood one point below that obtained in the Euro Zone and in the EU-25

The unemployment rate in the A.C. of the Basque Country in the second quarter of 2004 was one per cent below that of the Euro Zone countries. According to EUROSTAT- Statistics Office of the European Union- in May 2004 in the Zone, the unemployment rate remained at 9%. The overall rate for all 25 countries of the European Union was the same as that of the Euro Zone.

The unemployment rate fell in all three Provinces

The total number of unemployed men, made up of 36,700 people, decreased by 2,600. Among women, 3,700 left the numbers of the unemployed during the last quarter, a situation affecting a total of 41,800 people. Also worth noting was the decrease in the group of young people aged 16 to 24 (-1,600) and, especially, the group of 25 to 44 year-olds, with 6,600 fewer people unemployed.

The number of unemployed, calculated to be 78,500 in this second quarter, fell in all three provinces. In Bizkaia there was a total of 44,600 people out of work, 3,000 less than three months earlier, although its rate of 8.8% continues to be the highest in the three provinces. In Álava, with a total of 9,000 jobless, there was a decrease of 2,400 people and the unemployment rate in Álava fell to 6.2%. Gipuzkoa lowered its number of unemployed by 800 people, putting the unemployment rate at 7.6%, affecting a total of 24,900 people.

On the other hand, the number of unemployed aged 45 and over increased (+1,900).

The A.C. of the Basque Country surpassed the 900,000 mark in the number of jobs during the second quarter of 2004

The number of people in work came to 901,700, 4,400 more than three months previously. By province, employment rose in Gipuzkoa with 2,600 more jobs and in Álava (1,800 more), while in Bizkaia it reduced by one hundred people.

Construction created 5,900 net jobs, while in other sectors employment fell

In relation to the first quarter of 2004, the number of people in work rose in only one of the four economic sectors, that of construction, with 5,900 more employees. In the remaining sectors- primary, industry and services- some 1,600 jobs were lost.

The increase in the employed population in the A.C. of the Basque Country as regards gender affected both men and women, 2,600 and 1,800 more people than the previous quarter respectively.

The employment rate, the percentage of employed people aged 16 to 64 out of the total number in this age group, came to 64%, point four per cent more than three months earlier. This rate for young people came to 74.8%, while for women it was a mere 53.1%.

By province, the employment rate was the same for Álava and Gipuzkoa with 66.9%, making an increase of point nine and point five per cent respectively. Bizkaia had the lowest rate, with 61.5%, remaining stable with regard to the first quarter of 2004.

In almost two out of three households all the members were in work (63.5%), 5,800 more than in the previous three months. Elsewhere, those households where all the active members were unemployed accounted for 2.6% of the 733,900 households of the A.C. of the Basque Country.

The inter-annual analysis shows that the services sector created 15,400 net jobs with regard to the second quarter of 2003, while in the remaining sectors 9,100 were lost

The employed population grew in relation to the second quarter of 2003 by 6,500 people, 0.7%. There was an increase in the female employment rate of 1.5 per cent, while in the case of men there was a fall of one tenth. By Province, there was a rise for the rates of Bizkaia (1.3 per cent) and Gipuzkoa (0.2), whereas in Álava, there was a decrease of point eight percent over the twelve-month period.

Over the year, the services sector created 15,400 net jobs. However, industry continued to lose weight, with 5,900 less jobs, as did construction (-1,600) and agriculture (-1,600). During this period, the employment rate increased by point seven per cent.

The unemployment rate fell by almost half a point over the year

The unemployment rate in the A.C. of the Basque Country decreased by point four per cent over the year. By gender, among women it fell by almost one and a half per cent, while for men it rose point two per cent. The youth unemployment rate fell by 2.8 per cent, while that of the over-45 age bracket increased by point nine per cent. The fall in unemployment took place across all three Provinces: in Álava (-1.5 per cent), in Bizkaia (-0.3) and in Gipuzkoa (-0.2).