MADRID (AP) Official figures show the number of people registered as unemployed in Spain fell by a little under 2,500 in November, the first drop during the month since the current system was introduced 1997.
The decline provided further evidence that the Spanish economy might be picking up after more than two years of recession, which only ended in the third quarter.
Still, Spain is still suffering from mass unemployment, with around 4.8 million people out of work. That represents around 26 percent of its total workforce. Only Greece has a higher unemployment rate in the 17-country eurozone.
November, like October and September, normally sees an increase in unemployment as jobs created during the summer tourism dry up. The ministry said Tuesday new jobs in construction and industry were behind the fall.
