Job Creation Back Up To Pre-Recession Levels
"Spain created more than 400,000 jobs in 2014, a clear sign that the country is finally starting to emerge from its labour market crisis. Over the last 12 months, 434,000 jobs were created, bringing the overall unemployment rate down to 23.7%. It is the first such annual net job increase since 2007, when unemployment dropped to just below 8%. However, the collapse of the housing and construction sectors, followed by the euro-zone crisis, saw Spain 's jobless rate soar to 27% by the end of 2012. Deputy Prime Minister Soraya S�enz de Santamar�a said the new figures showed the reforms were paying off. ""This change in trend is the beginning of a new era, a positive sign for those Spaniards who are still waiting for an opportunity, and a sign that clearly shows that the objective of creating a million jobs between 2014 and 2015 is realisable."""