Press Release 22/04/2016
The unemployment rate fell to 14.4%, and the employment rate remained stable in the first quarter of 2016 in the Basque Country
The active population fell and the activity rate stood at 57.1%
The data from the labour market in the Basque Country from the first quarter of 2016 showed that there were 894,600 people in work, which was a decrease of 300 compared with the previous quarter (0.0%), according to Eustat data. On the other hand, the unemployment rate of the Basque Country stood at 14.4%, three percentage points lower than the fourth quarter of 2015.
As a result of the change in the working and unemployed population, the activity rate was 57.1% in the first quarter of 2016, 0.2 percentage points below that of the previous quarter.
In terms of gender, the decrease in the number of individuals in work most affected men, with 1,700 fewer in work than the previous quarter, whilst the number of women in work rose by 1,300. The only province where employment fell was Bizkaia, which saw 1,400 fewer in work, whereas the number of individuals in work increased by 500 in both Álava and Gipuzkoa.
Industry created net employment both in quarter-on-quarter terms and in year-on-year terms
The number of people employed in industry reached 189,000 during the first quarter of 2016, 2,400 more than the previous quarter and 5,100 more than the same quarter of the previous year.
However, during this quarter, the other sectors underwent falls in net employment compared with the previous quarter: 1,500 people fewer in the services sector, 1,100 fewer in the construction sector and 200 fewer in the primary sector.
The employment rate, calculated as the percentage of people in work aged 16 to 64 over the total for these ages, did not change compared to the previous quarter, standing at 64.8%. This figure reached 68% for men and 61.7% for women.
By Province, the highest rate of employment was in Gipuzkoa, which rose by 66.2% compared with the previous quarter, 0.1 percentage points. Álava came second, followed by Bizkaia, with both provinces retaining the same employment rate as the previous year - 66% and 63.7% respectively.
In 481,700 households, all active individuals were employed
In the first quarter of 2016 it was estimated that there were 872,400 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, 8,800 families less than the previous quarter; furthermore, households where all active individuals were unemployed stood at 53,500 (6.1% of the total).
The unemployment rate fell to 14.4%, 0.3 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 150,700 in the first quarter of the year, 4,100 down from the previous quarter. The number of unemployed men, 81,200 individuals, was down by 3,400, whilst the number of unemployed women fell by 700, reaching a total of 69,500 for the quarter.
The data for the first quarter of 2016 revealed an unemployment rate of 14.4%, 0.3 percentage points down on the previous quarter. The male unemployment rate fell to 14.7% (0.5 percentage points down) and the female rate was down 0.1 points, reaching 14.1%. The youth unemployment rate continued to be the highest, and stood at 34.1% (a decrease of 0.8 percentage points), affecting 15,200 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 Gipuzkoa (-4,400 individuals) where the unemployment rate stood at 11.9%, 1.3 percentage points down on the previous quarter. In Bizkaia, with 87,500 individuals out of work, the number of unemployed fell by 100, with the unemployment rate remaining as it was the previous quarter (16%). In Álava, there were 400 more unemployed individuals than the previous quarter and the unemployment rate remained the same (14.5%).
According to EUROSTAT – the Statistical Office of the European Union – in February 2016 the unemployment rate of the European Union-28 stood at 8.9% and that of Spain stood at 20.4%.
Last year, the number of people in work increased and the number of people out of work decreased
The number of people in work in the Basque Country rose by 8,700 compared to the first quarter of 2015. This rise was mainly concentrated amongst women, with 6,700 more in work, whilst the number of women in work was up by 1,900.
The unemployment rate was down by 2.3 percentage points (from 16.7% to 14.4%), with 26,400 fewer individuals unemployed in the Basque Country compared to the data from the first quarter of 2015.
97.9% of average registered workers were in work, according to ILO criteria
It is estimated that there were 828,000 average registered workers for the quarter in the Basque Country; in other words, 828,000 individuals residing in the Basque Country who were registered for Social Security at the time of the survey. Of those, the PRA estimates that 97.9% were employed, according to criteria from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which totals 810,200 individuals.
Furthermore, of the 828,000 average registered workers estimated, 784,300 (94.7%) of those remained registered during the quarter on a continuous basis, or with a temporary interruption, whilst the rest of these individuals - 43,700 registered workers - were either newly registered, or they left the register in the first quarter of 2016.
Amongst those employed according to ILO criteria in the PRA, 73,500 people, 8.2%, were not registered for Social Security 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.
30.1% of those unemployed were not registered as unemployed in Lanbide
It is estimated that there was a quarterly average of 140,400 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, 70.7% were unemployed according to the ILO definition (99,300 unemployed individuals).
Additionally, of the 140,400 individuals registered as unemployed in the Lanbide on average, 115,900 (82.5%) were individuals who remained registered throughout the quarter, or who were temporarily off the register. The other 24,500 individuals either registered for the first time, or they left the Lanbide register in the first quarter of 2016.
Of the individuals unemployed according to the ILO definition in the PRA, 30.1% were not registered as unemployed in Lanbide (45,400 individuals), even though they may be registered under other categories.
METHODOLOGICAL NOTE: Homogenous series are now available in the Eustat Databank with the new PRA methodology for the majority of population tables in relation to activity and rates of activity, employment and unemployment.
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)