The number of recorded unemployed at the State Public Employment Services has fallen in December by 86,849 on the previous month.
The total number of recorded unemployed now stands at 3,702,974 people, and continues to be at the lowest levels in the last seven years.
In seasonally-adjusted terms, unemployment fell in the month of December by 49,243 people.
Compared with December 2015, unemployment has fallen by 390,534, the largest fall in a calendar year on record. The year-on-year decline in the unemployment rate stands at 9.54%, the fastest rate since 1999. Over the last four years, unemployment has fallen by more than 1 million people (1.145.749).
Unemployment for young people under the age of 25 has fallen over the last 12 months by 47,607, to post a year-on-year decline in youth unemployment of 13.9%, which is above the general average of 9.54%.
In terms of recorded unemployment by activity sector, this fell in services by 65,898 people (down 2.57%), and in agriculture and fisheries by 14,075 (down 7.67%). In contrast, it rose in the construction sector by 8,365 people (up 2.28%), and in industry by 2,785 (up 0.81%). Lastly, unemployment fell among first-time job seekers by 18,026 (down 5.43%).
Recorded unemployment fell in 13 autonomous regions, headed up by Andalusia (down 39,908), Madrid (down 11,298) and Catalonia (down 9,334). In contrast, it rose in the other four regions, mainly in Galicia (up 2,360) and Navarre (1,129).
Permanent employment contracts increase
The number of contracts registered in the month of December amounted to a total of 1,699,018, the highest figure on record for a month of December. This represents an increase of 6.5% on December 2015.
The number of permanent employment contracts registered in December amounted to 122,294, a 13.38% increase, or 14,436 additional contracts, on the same month of last year.
1,713,262 permanent employments contracts have been registered in 2016, an increase of 204,097 on the previous year, up 13.52%.
