The Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell by 1.4% in January compared to December 2012, according to the National Statistics Institute, and the annual rate now stands at 2.6%. The decline is the biggest in any month since the start of the financial crisis and is the lowest rate since July 2012.
Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona
In the Copa del Rey, the semi-final first leg match between Real Madrid and Barcelona ended in a 1-1 draw, both goals coming in the second half.
Málaga 2-4 Barcelona
Barcelona will play Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Copa del Rey after eventually overcoming Málaga 2-4 on Thursday night in their quarter-final second leg match. The first encounter had ended in a 2-2 draw.
Copa del Rey quarter-finals, first leg
Málaga, reduced to ten men after Monreal was ordered from the field, held Barcelona to a 2-2 draw at the Neu Camp. Messi and Puyol were the scorers for Barcelona, Iturra and Camacho for the Blue and Whites.
Spain will have to raise IVA rate on some healthcare products
Spain will have to raise the IVA (VAT) rate applied to some healthcare products and services after the European Court of Justice ruled in favour of the European Commission, which successfully argued that the Spanish government had incorrectly implemented EU rules on VAT.
Unemployment at 6.1 million according to Eurostat
Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics office, reported that Spain’s unemployment rate hit 26.6% in November 2012, up from 26.2% in October 2012 and up from 23.0% for the same month in 2011. That puts the total number of people out of work in Spain at 6.157 million.
Pessimism rules
The latest survey by the Centre for Sociological Research (CIS) shows that 60.9% of those unemployed see little or no chance of getting a job in the next twelve months and 29.2% view their chances of obtaining a job as ‘likely’ or ‘somewhat likely’.
Unemployment down slightly in December 2012
According to figures released by the Employment Ministry, the number of people registered at employment offices as being out of work in December declined by 59,094 when compared to November, bringing the grand total of unemployed to 4.848 million. December is usually a good month for employment due to the long Christmas festive period.
Christmas road traffic fatalities
During the Christmas period, December 21st 2012 to January 2nd 2013, a total of 40 people lost their lives on the roads in Spain in 37 fatal accidents. A further 22 people were seriously injured.
Changes in pension rules comes into effect
New pension regulations come into effect in 2013 after being published in the Official Gazette (BOP). These include a measure agreed by the previous Zapatero government with businesses and unions to raise the qualification period from 15 to 25 years and raising the retirement age to 67 years.