Press Release 22/01/2016
The unemployment rate fell to 14.5%, and the employment rate increased by 0.5% in the fourth quarter of 2015 in the Basque Country
The unemployment rate decreased by more than two percentage points over the course of 2015
The data for the labour market in the Basque Country from the fourth quarter of 2015 showed that there were 889,900 people in work, which was a net increase of 4,300 compared with the previous quarter (+0.5%), according to Eustat data. On the other hand, the unemployment rate of the Basque Country stood at 14.5%, two percentage points lower than the third quarter of 2015. In the first quarter of 2015, the unemployment rate reached 16.6%, meaning that it decreased by 2.1 percentage points over the course of 2015.
As a result of the change in the working and unemployed population, the activity rate was 57.4% in the fourth quarter of 2015, two percentage points higher than that of the previous quarter.
As far as gender was concerned, the rise in employment had a greater effect on women, with 2,300 more in work than in the previous quarter, whilst the number of men in work increased by 1,900. Bizkaia was the province where employment rose the most, with 2,700 more people employed, followed by Álava with 1,000 more, and lastly Gipuzkoa, with an increase of 500.
Employment levels increased in all sectors of activity, except construction
The working population increased by 3,000 in the services sector, by 1,200 in industry and by 400 in the primary sector, whilst in the construction sector it decreased by 200.
The employment rate, calculated as the percentage of people in work aged 16 to 64 over the total for these ages, was up by 0.7 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, standing at 65.3%. This figure reached 68.6% for men and 62% for women.
By province, the highest employment rate turned out to be that of Gipuzkoa, with 67% and an increase of 0.5 percentage points compared to the previous quarter; this was followed by Álava, with a rate of 66.5% and an increase of 0.7 points; lastly, Bizkaia had the lowest rate, with 64% and an increase of 0.8 percentage points in the last quarter.
In 466,300 households, all active individuals were employed
In the fourth quarter of 2015 it was estimated that there were 860,300 households in the Basque Country, a third of which did not have any active individuals. In just over half of households, all of the active individuals were in work, 9,300 families less than the previous quarter; furthermore, households where all active individuals were unemployed stood at 51,500 (6% of the total).
The unemployment rate fell to 14.5%, two percentage points less than the previous quarter
The unemployed population in the Basque country, that is, individuals who are available for work, actively making enquiries and seeking employment, was estimated to be 151,000 in the fourth quarter of the year, 1,300 down from the previous quarter. The number of unemployed men, 82,600 individuals, was up by 2,300, whilst the number of unemployed women fell by 3,600, reaching a total of 68,400 for the quarter.
The data for the fourth quarter of 2015 revealed an unemployment rate of 14.5%, 0.2 percentage points less than the previous quarter. The female unemployment rate fell to 14% (0.7 percentage points down) and the male rate was up 0.3 points, reaching 15%. The youth unemployment rate continued to be the highest, and stood at 34.3% (an increase of 1.6 percentage points), affecting 14,900 active young people between the ages of 16 and 24.
By province, the greatest decrease in the number of people out of work was in Bizkaia (-2,300 individuals) where the unemployment rate stood at 15.8%, four tenths less than the previous quarter. In Álava, which has 22,200 individuals out of work, the number of unemployed fell by 900, leaving the unemployment rate standing at 14.1%, six tenths less. In Gipuzkoa, unemployment rose by 1,900 people compared with the previous quarter, but the unemployment rate continued to be the lowest, at 12.6%, four tenths more.
According to EUROSTAT, the Statistical Office of the European Union, in November 2015 the unemployment rate of the European Union-28 stood at 9.1% and that of Spain stood at 21.4%.
98.3% of average registered workers were in work, according to the ILO
It is estimated that there were 823,100 average registered workers for the quarter in the Basque Country; in other words, 823,100 individuals residing in the Basque Country who were registered for Social Security at the time of the survey. Of those, the PRA estimates that 98.3% were employed, according to criteria from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which totals 808,900 individuals.
Furthermore, of the 823,100 average registered workers estimated, 772,600 (93.9%) of those remained registered during the quarter on a continuous basis, or with a temporary interruption, whilst the rest of these individuals - 50,500 registered workers - were either newly registered, or they left the register in the fourth quarter of 2015.
Amongst those employed according to ILO criteria in the PRA, 8.1% were not registered for Social Security (72,100 individuals) in companies based in the Basque Country, which may belong to public mutual societies for civil servants or companies from other Autonomous Regions or situations.
29.1% of those unemployed were not registered as such in Lanbide
It is estimated that there was a quarterly average of 143,600 registered unemployed individuals in Lanbide, i.e. individuals residing in the Basque Country who were registered in Lanbide at the time of the survey in any one of the categories designated for registered unemployment. Of those, 70.9% were unemployed according to the ILO definition (101,800 unemployed individuals).
Additionally, of the 143,600 individuals registered as unemployed in the Lanbide on average, 111,000 (77.3%) were individuals who remained registered throughout the quarter, or who were temporarily off the register. The other 32,600 individuals either registered for the first time, or they left the Lanbide register in the fourth quarter of 2015.
Of the individuals unemployed according to the ILO definition in the PRA, 29.1% were not registered as unemployed in Lanbide (44,000 individuals), even though they may be registered under other categories.
METHODOLOGICAL NOTE: the homogeneous series combined with the new PRA methodology will be made available on the website as they become available.
For further information:
Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Instituto Vasco de Estadística
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tlf: 945 01 75 62
Further press releases on survey on the population in relation to activity in the Basque Country (PRA)
Databank on survey on the population in relation to activity in the Basque Country (PRA)