Landmark figure achieved of 20 million people working in Spain, according to government statistics

A record 20 million people are in work according to Spain’s social security figures released on Wednesday.

It’s the first time that the much-vaunted 20 million mark has been reached.

700,000 new permanent work contracts were issued in April- the highest monthly total since 2001.

April’s unemployment figures fell by more than 86,000 people, standing just at 3,022,503- the lowest April number since 2008.

In just four months, 1.7 million permanent contracts have been agreed, with the government attributing the boost to their labour reforms passed in February.

Almost half of new contracts signed last month were permanent jobs, as opposed to the vast majority of contracts in the last 30 to 40 years being of a temporary nature.

Labour minister, Yolanda Diaz, said: “The figures are spectacular and although Spain has a serious structural unemployment problem, we have to acknowledge when things are going well.”

“The labour law changes have altered the way people are employed in this country and that is no small thing,” she added.

Nevertheless unemployment, especially among younger people, is still twice the European Union average figure of over 6%.

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