MADRID | The Corner | Despite the slow recovery, unemployment in the eurozone has fallen faster than expected. According to the Labor Force Survey, the rate of jobless population has gone from 12.5% in 1Q13 to 12.2% in 1Q14. The reason? The single currency club is ageing. Also, immigration is playing a secondary role, as unemployment rate for non-EU citizens notably higher than for nationals in the EU28.
BRUSSELS | By Alexandre Mato | The last Eurobarometer after the european elections showed that the EU’s image is improving among its citizens. 35% of them have a positive image of communitarian institutions. Austerity measures to fight the economic crisis or the unresolved unemployment problem have not erased this ‘popular feeling’. But more than 40% think that in a national or European level the economy will remain “the same” for the coming 12 months. Only 24% see an improvement.
MADRID | The Corner | Ahead of INE’s official release of Q2 growth, Bank of Spain (BdE) published on Wednesday its estimate in its economic bulletin. The central bank estimates that economic activity in Q2 accelerated to 0.5% q/q from 0.4% q/q in Q1, driven by positive contributions from both domestic and external demand. BdE has also revised upwards its annual growth projections for 2014 and 2015 to 1.3% and 2%. These estimates coincide with ours, both for Q2 14 and for 2014-15, analysts at Barclays point out.
MADRID | By Fernando G. Urbaneja | Both the evolution of the GDP and employment in 2Q confirm that the Spanish recovery has arrived: it’s a weak, subject to uncertainty one, but undeniable. Official data released on Thursday were above expectations: 400,000 new employed, 310,000 less unemployed and a crucial piece of data: nearly 100,000 more occupied Spaniards. It’s the best data of the past 26 quarters, since mid-2007. But we should not forget the poor-quality contracts nor the 2 million long-duration jobless.
MADRID | By Fernando G. Urbaneja | June employment data are the best in the last seven years: economy is moving and employment reflects an activity with generalised increases in sectors and regions. Spanish growth is still slight but significant after seven years of decline. (Graph: Charles Butler @ibexsalad)
SAN FRANCISCO | By Atul Singh via Fair Observer | With 61% of its population under 24, Africa’s greatest challenge is finding jobs for its youth. The continent needs to provide employment to 200 million people aged between 15-24. As per the World Bank, youth account for 60% of Africa’s unemployed. The African Economic Outlook records extensively how the young fare in labor markets. Lack of demand for labor, absence of meritocracy, and lack of proper training are the top three barriers to getting a job.
This article was originally published on Fair Observer.
MADRID | By Luis Arroyo | Experts at Afi made an analysis of the US’ labour market to forecast a possible turn in the economic policy. The answer is that such market is yet far from standardization. We can see three different moments according to the standard deviation in the chart above.
MADRID | The Corner | Assessing Spain’s economic decisions in the years of crisis led Deutsche Bank’s analysts to fix the main five lessons their European counterparts should learn from the country’s experience. One of Madrid’s clearest success was to firstly manage the private sector adjustment then implement fiscal consolidation. All this would not have been possible without the “crucial”, though sometimes “subtle” support from the EU.
MADRID | By Fernando G. Urbaneja | May unemployment and social security registration data in Spain are the best monthly as well as yearly, and even regarding the end of current year since 2007. Although jobless rate is still painfully high, more than 26%, the trend is changing.
BARCELONA | Joan Tapia| That the Spanish economy grew by 0.4% quarterly in the 1Q14, and by 0.6% yearly is a real green shoot. After several years of recession, GDP is to grow moderately, around 1% in year 2014. However, employment continued falling by 184,000 people, at an annual pace of 0.5%. A slap in the face for those who told the recovery was more intense than expected.