Labour market data for the second quarter of 2007 in the A.C. of the Basque Country showed the unemployment rate to be steady as regards the previous quarter, remaining at 3.4%, according to Eustat data. The female unemployment rate fell to 3.4% (0.2 percentage points less) and the male one rose by point two per cent, also coming to 3.4%.

The employed population in the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole stood at 952,400 people, which meant that there were 9,800 less than three months earlier, -1%, according to Eustat data. As regards gender, this decrease affected both men and women, although the latter suffered the largest decrease, with 6,800 less employed than the previous quarter. By province, employment fell in Bizkaia and in Gipuzkoa, with 6,100 and 3,800 less net jobs respectively. Álava, on the other hand maintained its employment rate.

The twelve-month period saw the creation of 9,900 net jobs

The employed population grew over the year by 9,900 people, 1% more. This increase took place in all three provinces with 7,300 net jobs being created in Bizkaia, 2,000 in Gipuzkoa and 600 in Álava.

Over the year, the greatest number of jobs was generated by the services sector with 6,900 additional jobs, followed by industry with an increase of 3,700 net jobs. In construction, on the other hand, the level of employment fell by 500 jobs and finally the primary sector remained steady with the same number of jobs.

The services sector lost 4,000 net jobs, industry 2,800 and construction 2,600 over the latest three-month period

In relation to the first quarter of 2007, there was a notable fall in the number of people employed in the services sector, with 4,000 less jobs. Industry lost 2,800 net jobs, construction 2,600 and agriculture 300.

The employment rate, the percentage of employed people aged 16 to 64 out of the total number of people in this age bracket, came to 66.3%, point six per cent less than three months earlier. For men this rate came to 76.1%, while for women it was 56.2%.

By province, the highest employment rate was in Gipuzkoa with 69.5%, despite showing a fall of point eight per cent; it was followed by Álava with a 68.1% employment rate, which remained steady; Bizkaia had the lowest rate, with 63.9%, and showed a fall of point six per cent.

The number of wage earners with a permanent contract rose by 7,700 and wage earners with a temporary contract decreased by 20,300

The total number of salaried workers in the second quarter of 2007 came to 782,100, with a 12,700 decrease as regards the previous quarter. The number of wage earners with a permanent contract rose by 7,700 and came to 596.500, while those salaried workers with a temporary contract (including those with no contract), fell by 20,300, leaving a total of 185,700.

Over the last year the number of temporary wage earners has fallen by 37,000 and wage earners with a permanent contract has increased by 48,600. We can therefore point to a gradual rise in the number of salaried workers with a permanent contract, since in the second quarter of 2007 this type of wage earner represented 76% of the total, whereas in the first quarter of 2007 they came to 74% and a year earlier had accounted for 71%.

Trend of the employed population since 1985. A.C. of the Basque Country. (In thousands)

Source: EUSTAT

In the second quarter of 2007 it was estimated that there were around 798,000 households in the A.C. of the Basque Country, of which around almost a third had no active member; in almost 7 out of 10 households all the active members were employed, 800 families less than the previous quarter and additionally, there were 10,500 households where all the active members were unemployed (1.3% of the total), 1,900 more than the previous quarter.

The unemployment rate remained steady in the A.C. of the Basque Country

Data for the second quarter of 2007 showed the unemployment rate to be unchanged from the previous quarter, remaining at 3.4%.

The unemployment rate in the A.C. of the Basque Country for the second quarter of 2007 was 3.6 percentage points lower than in the Euro Zone countries. According to EUROSTAT- the Statistics Office of the European Union-, in May 2007 the unemployment rate for this area fell by point three per cent during the quarter, to 7.0%. In addition the rate for the European Union as a whole, bearing in mind all 27 member countries in 2007, also came to 7.0%.

As regards the first quarter of 2007 and as a result of the evolution of the employed and unemployed population, the activity rate fell by 0.5 percentage points and came to 54% in the second quarter of 2007.

The female unemployment rate fell to 3.4% (0.2 percentage points less) and the male one rose by point two percent, also standing at 3.4%. The youth unemployment rate fell by 2.2 percentage points, with unemployment affecting 4,100 young active people aged between 16 and 24 (7%).

The number of unemployed women, which came to 14,200, decreased by 1,200. However, the number of unemployed men rose by 1,000 in the second quarter, meaning that a total of 19,700 were affected.

The number of unemployed people, which is to say people who are actively seeking work and who are furthermore available for work, was estimated at 33,900 in the second quarter of the year. By province, the number of jobless in Álava, with a total of 3,400, fell by 500 and its unemployment rate came to 2.3%; in Bizkaia, there were 22,100 unemployed, 800 more than three months previously, still having the least favourable rate (4,3%), and in Gipuzkoa, with 8,400 people out of work, 500 less than three months earlier and offering a rate which was closer to that of Álava (2.6%).

The unemployment rate fell by 0.8 percentage points in the last year in the A.C. of the Basque Country

The unemployment rate fell by 0.8 percentage points in the last year (from 4.2% to 3.4%), meaning that 7,300 people left the ranks of the unemployed in the A.C. of the Basque Country between July 2006 and June 2007. The unemployment rate fell in all three provinces over the twelve-month period. The sharpest decrease took place in Álava (1.1 percentage points less), followed by Bizkaia (0.8 points less) and finally Gipuzkoa (0.5 points less).

For women, the latest twelve-month period saw a fall in the employment rate of point three per cent and for men there was an increase of 1.6 percentage points. By province, in both Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa the employment rate increased: Bizkaia by one percentage point and Gipuzkoa by half a percentage point, with regard to the second quarter of 2006. On the other hand, in Álava the employment rate decreased by 0.1 percentage points.

SURVEY ON THE POPULATION IN RELATION TO ACTIVITY (PRA)

*p.p. = Difference in percentage points. Source: EUSTAT