The Government has announced that, after seasonal adjustment, unemployment in April fell by 50,202 people, although these figures are considered a less reliable guide to the job market than those produced by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
INE data published last week showed that the Spanish economy is still shedding jobs, six years after the financial crisis began.
The Rajoy administration is also claiming that the unemployment rate will go down to 23.3% next year, although the EU recently suggested that any economic recovery will not bring about any significant job creation and that the rate will remain at no less than 24% for 2015.
There are of course various elections due to take place during the next year – European, municipal, regional, general – so, whereas ‘seasonal adjustments’ are factored IN to figures, the public will have to start factoring OUT ‘imminent election adjustments’.